Not all tissues are equal in their energy needs. The brain and more consistently active muscles, such as the heart, are at the top of the list. Energy for cell and tissue processes is provided by the chemical energy store molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is produced by mitochondria. Every cell contains hundreds of mitochondria, the descendants of ancient symbiotic bacteria now evolved to become fully integrated cell components. Mitochondria still replicate much like bacteria, each containing a small remnant circular genome. When damaged or dysfunctional, mitochondria are cleared by the complex process of mitophagy, a mitochondrially targeted form of autophagy that recognizes impa…
The Heart Has High Energy Needs, Making it Vulnerable to Age-Related Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Not all tissues are equal in their energy needs. The brain and more consistently active muscles, such as the heart, are at the top of the list. Energy for cell and tissue processes is provided by the chemical energy store molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is produced by mitochondria. Every cell contains hundreds of mitochondria, the descendants of ancient symbiotic bacteria now evolved to become fully integrated cell components. Mitochondria still replicate much like bacteria, each containing a small remnant circular genome. When damaged or dysfunctional, mitochondria are cleared by the complex process of mitophagy, a mitochondrially targeted form of autophagy that recognizes impa…