Concept:Mitochondria contain their own DNA and ribosomes, which enable them to carry out some independent protein synthesis.
Explanation:Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell because they generate ATP through cellular respiration.
Unlike most other organelles, they possess circular mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and 70S ribosomes similar to those in prokaryotes.
These features allow mitochondria to transcribe and translate a limited set of essential proteins, mainly those required for the electron transport chain and ATP production.
Most mitochondrial proteins are still encoded by nuclear DNA, synthesised in the cytoplasm, and imported into the organelle.
The presence of own DNA and ribosomes is a key evidence for the endosymbiotic theory, which states that mitochondria evolved from free‑living bacteria engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.
Now evaluate the other options:
Option A – Digest materials like lysosomes do: Lysosomes contain hydrolytic enzymes for digestion; mitochondria do not perform this function.
Option B – Move around the cell on their own: Mitochondria can move along microtubules, but this movement is driven by cytoskeletal motor proteins, not autonomous motion.
Option C – Make food using sunlight like plants do: Photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts, not mitochondria.
Thus, the only capability directly stemming from their own DNA and ribosomes is the ability to synthesise some of their own proteins.
Answer:Make some of their own proteins.