Question

Mitochondria, the organelles involved in cellular respiration, can also generate chemicals called reactive oxygen species (ROSs). ROSs can damage mitochondria. Damaged mitochondria generate more ROSs than healthy mitochondria. Is this an example of negative or positive feedback? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Damaged mitochondria creating more reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing further damage, is an example of positive feedback, where a process is amplified, leading to increased effects.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process described, wherein damaged mitochondria generate more reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn can cause further mitochondrial damage, is an example of positive feedback. In positive feedback, a process or mechanism is amplified or increased, leading to an even greater effect.

This is opposite to negative feedback, where the effect of a process leads to the reduction or inhibition of that process. Here, ROSs, which are byproducts of normal cellular metabolism and can be damaging, cause a greater production of ROSs when the mitochondria are already damaged, leading to further cellular harm and potentially contributing to various diseases and aging.

Answer 2

Mitochondria, the organelles involved in cellular respiration, can also generate chemicals called reactive oxygen species (ROSs). ROSs can damage mitochondria. Damaged mitochondria generate more ROSs than healthy mitochondria. This is an example of a positive feedback mechanism

The reactive oxygen species that are given out by the mitochondria during cellular respiration are the major cause of aging. Though this has a lot of negative effects but this also has a small amount of positive effects such as the start of angiogenesis or cell proliferation.