1 Outer membrane 2 Intermembrane space 3 Lamella 4 Mitochondrial DNA 5 Matrix granule 6 Ribosome 7 ATP synthase A crista (/ˈkrɪstə/; pl.

The name is from the Latin for crest or plume, and it gives the inner membrane its characteristic wrinkled shape, providing a large amount of surface area for chemical reactions to occur on.

[1] Three models proposed were: More recent research (2019) finds rows of ATP synthase dimers (formerly known as "elementary particles" or "oxysomes") forming at the cristae.

H+ ions passively pass into the mitochondrial matrix by the ATP synthase, and later help to re-form H2O (water).

A widely accepted hypothesis for the function of the cristae is that the high surface area allows an increased capacity for ATP generation.

However, the current model is that active ATP synthase complexes localize preferentially in dimers to the narrow edges of the cristae.

Mathematical modelling suggested that the optical properties of the cristae in filamentous mitochondria may affect the generation and propagation of light within the tissue.