What Advantage Do the Cristae Confer on the Mitochondria

Question

What advantage do the cristae confer on the mitochondria?
A)They allow the mitochondria to shrink.
B)They greatly increase the surface area for aerobic respiration machinery.
C)They confer resiliency on the cells.
D)They allow swelling of mitochondria.
E)They activate the matrix.

Accepted Answer

The cristae, which are the inner membrane folds of mitochondria, significantly increase the surface area available for hosting the enzymes and other proteins involved in aerobic respiration, thus enhancing the mitochondrion's ability to produce ATP.