protomitochondrion

noun

The ancestral bacterial endosymbiont from which all mitochondria are thought to be derived

OriginEnglish mitochondrion ← Ancient Greek πρωτο- (prōto-) ← Proto-Indo-European *pró →
Scrabble 28
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Meanings

nounprotomitochondrion (plural protomitochondria)

plural protomitochondria · alternative proto-mitochondrion

  1. biologyThe ancestral bacterial endosymbiont from which all mitochondria are thought to be derived

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pró
  4. Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
  5. Ancient Greekπρῶτος (prôtos)
  6. Ancient Greekπρωτο- (prōto-)
  7. Englishproto-
  8. Englishmitochondrion
  9. Englishprotomitochondrion

From proto- + mitochondrion.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

protomitochondrion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protomitochondrion

MLA

“protomitochondrion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protomitochondrion. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protomitochondrion,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protomitochondrion.

Source: protomitochondrion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.