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Articles on Mitochondria

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The gut microbiome may play a role in regulating the body’s appetite, cognition and immune responses. nopparit/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Hangry bacteria in your gut microbiome are linked to chronic disease – feeding them what they need could lead to happier cells and a healthier body

Research has examined how ultraprocessed foods can contribute to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mood disorders. A healthier diet is one way to use food as medicine.
Illustration of an autophagosome (light blue double-membrane to the right) engulfing cellular material. David S. Goodsell and Daniel Klionsky/RCSB PDB-101

Cells routinely self-cannibalize to take out their trash, aiding in survival and disease prevention

Cells degrade and recycle damaged parts of themselves through a process called autophagy. When this “self-devouring” goes awry, it may promote cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
Red mitochondria in airway cells become coated with green SARS-COV-2 proteins after viral infection: Researchers discovered that the virus that causes COVID-19 damages lungs by attacking mitochondria. (Stephen Archer)

How COVID-19 damages lungs: The virus attacks mitochondria, continuing an ancient battle that began in the primordial soup

COVID-19 causes lung injury and lowers oxygen levels in patients because the SARS-CoV-2 virus attacks cells’ mitochondria. This attack is a throwback to a primitive war between viruses and bacteria.
A computer illustration of a cross-section of a mitochondrion and its internal structure with DNA (gray), ribosomes (light green), granules (yellow) and ATP synthase particles (light blue). TUMEGGY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

Disputes over when life begins may block cutting-edge reproductive technologies like mitochondrial replacement therapies

The nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett has implications for how assisted reproductive technologies, which can prevent the transmission of disease from parents to child, are regulated.
Fluorescent human cells seen through a microscope.

Curious Kids: what are cells made out of?

Our cells may be small, but they are mighty. And they are made of lots of amazing stuff, from the DNA that tells your body how to grow, to mini skeletons that let cells move around.
Australians can now have their say on the issues around mitochondrial donation. From shutterstock.com

3-parent IVF could prevent illness in many children (but it’s really more like 2.002-parent IVF)

Should Australia allow the creation of babies with DNA from more than two people? This reproductive technology could prevent babies being born with mitochondrial disease, so the simple answer is yes.
When it comes to reproduction, couple have more choices than ever before. Chinnapong/Shutterstock.com

What the ban on gene-edited babies means for family planning

A ban on clinical trials involving gene editing rules out the controversial procedure done in China. But it also prevents procedures that could offer couples a chance for healthy children without genetic disorders.
Rey (Daisy Ridley), in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, ponders the light and dark sides of the Force. (Handout)

The Force of biology is strong in Star Wars

Star Wars: The Last Jedi leaves many questions about the saga in a galaxy far, far away unanswered. Fortunately, biology may offer a insights on the Force, midi-chlorians, clones, and Rey’s lineage.

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