cristae
The cristae's function is to increase the surface area of the inner mitochondria. A larger surface area increases the number of chemical reactions per unit of area. A car radiator is an object with a very large surface area. The large amount of surface area helps to dissipate the waster heat from the car's engine. The general idea is to get more chemical energy or heat loss in a given volume.
The flutes increase the surface area making for a better filter.
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