from Hacker News

Ask HN: Should the CPU be compared to the mitochondrion instead of the brain?

by l3robot on 2/27/17, 6:10 PM with 3 comments

The CPU is often compared to the brain. This analogy have caused lots of misconceptions. Could the mitochondrion be a better analogy?
  • by gus_massa on 2/27/17, 6:43 PM

    No way.

    The main function of the mitochondria is to transform ADP to ATP. A good analogy is that ADP is an uncharged battery and ATP is a charged battery, so the mitochondria are the rechargers.

    The ATP can be used in other parts of the cell to make something useful, like moving or building a molecule. To use it, the ATP is split and it produces ADP. So they are like a battery.

    The function of mitochondria is totally unrelated to the function of CPU and brain.