Mitochondria's effect on Aging and Disease
Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. Their sole responsibility is to provide energy for the cell. They do this by synthesizing a molecule known as ATP, which the cell uses as energy. Mitochondria are different from the rest of the cell organelles because they contain their own DNA outside the nucleus. Mutations in this DNA have been found to be linked to Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Mutations in the DNA cause the mitochondria to function in other ways than it usually does. Generally these mutations cause the mitochondria to produce ATP less efficiently. Nuclear DNA is a lot less prone to these mutations because it has things that check and fix problems when they occur. Mutations are passed from cell to cell randomly. When a cell divides it can pass both normal mitochondria and mutated ones in any ratio to the two daughter cells. These mutations can only be inherited through your mother since
3) Stepenson, Joan. "A role for mitochondria in age-related disorders?", JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, May 22,1996 v275 n20 p1531(2). she is the one that provides all the mitochondria at conception. 1) Finkel, Elizabeth. "Piecing together the puzzle of aging", The Lancet, Oct 18, 1997 v350 n9085 p1150.
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Approximate Word count = 627
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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