6th grade biology class in the United States.

The teacher slaps up a diagram of a cell and organelles.

30-45 children all looking around the room, not exactly paying attention

She points to the various organelles, trying to explain their purpose, the golgi complex, ribosomes…

“And the mitochondria”

“Is the power house of the cell”

Children cheer in applause and repeat it, because it rhymes.

It then enters the collective unconscious of English speakers.

I was in the room where it happened.