When your energy-making machinery malfunctions, you suffer in your own unique way.

Metabolic activity makes the brain especially vulnerable to oxidative damage.Your brain is a metabolically fierce organ, punching way above its weight of two pounds to consume 20 to 25 percent of the body’s fuel supply. The brain’s energy-making machinery, centered in mitochondria, is powering your ability to see this page, decode the symbols, take in the information, and maybe even store some of it in.

As the descendants of once-independent organisms, mitochondria retain some autonomy; for example, they have their own DNA, something that helps mitochondria respond quickly to local energy demands without having to first consult the nuclear DNA. It also allows mitochondria to multiply on their own. Mitochondrial dysfunction from any cause not only leads to a decrease in ATP levels and energy production and an increase in the generation of ROS but it can also lead to inflammation. If, because of reduced mitochondrial function, defective mitochondria are not removed by mitophagy, they can release their contents, setting off inflammatory processes.

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Researchers map structure of mitochondria at different life stagesMitochondria, organelles with an inner and outer membrane, are responsible for creating the energy that cells use to survive, and their morphology is key to accomplishing this task. The inner mitochondrial membrane contains folds, called cristae, that maximize the surface area available for mitochondrial energetic processes.
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