Mitochondria are power plants, hundreds of them in every cell. A mitochondrion is descended from symbiotic bacteria, essentially a wrapper around the electron transport chain, which is a complex system that produces either heat or molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a chemical energy store used to power the cell. It also produces reactive oxidative molecules as a side-effect of its energetic process of operation, which the cell treats as both a source of damage to be repaired and a signal to adjust operations. Improving mitochondrial function slows aging. Interesting, so does mild sabotage of the electron transport chain, causing the cell to react to the reduced supply of ATP and increased generation of oxidative mol…
The Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain as a Target for Age-Slowing Therapies
Mitochondria are power plants, hundreds of them in every cell. A mitochondrion is descended from symbiotic bacteria, essentially a wrapper around the electron transport chain, which is a complex system that produces either heat or molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a chemical energy store used to power the cell. It also produces reactive oxidative molecules as a side-effect of its energetic process of operation, which the cell treats as both a source of damage to be repaired and a signal to adjust operations. Improving mitochondrial function slows aging. Interesting, so does mild sabotage of the electron transport chain, causing the cell to react to the reduced supply of ATP and increased generation of oxidative mol…