Gerontology studies aging processes and effects, including the role of mitochondria in cell division, signaling, and death. Mitochondria produce energy by breaking down food molecules, but their DNA lacks protection and is vulnerable to free radicals. Dysfunctional mitochondria affect cell division and programmed cell death. Faulty cell signaling due to prolonged mitochondrial damage can cause diseases and aging. B-complex vitamins, lipoic acid, and alcar can alleviate enzyme defection caused by mitochondrial damage.
Aging, or senescence, is generally seen as a necessary component of human life. Gerontology encompasses the study of aging processes and the effects of aging, and an intriguing branch of gerontology seeks to understand the biological processes that facilitate aging. There are many theories about aging, and more than a few consider the role of a tiny cellular structure that many individuals are probably not even aware of: the mitocondion. This structure aids in many cellular functions, and disturbances in any of the following functions could potentially induce aging: cell division, cell signaling, and cell death. Perhaps the best known mitochondrial theory of aging concerns the impact of unstable oxygen molecules called free radicals on mitochondrial structures.
Mitochondria could be thought of as the cells’ energy factories. Every human cell has dozens to thousands of these factories. Each tiny mitochondrion works to produce energy that powers various processes, from breathing to walking. They create this energy by breaking down food molecules into electrons which are then stored in energy bundles of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Mitochondrial structures have a different type of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) than other cell parts. The DNA contained in mitochondria is known as mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) and does not contain the same level of protection as traditional DNA. Both enzymes and proteins called histones typically protect DNA from any major damage, but mDNA lacks these substances. Therefore, as a mitochondrion suffers damage, so do the energy processes that determine so much of human capabilities. Cell degeneration is therefore one of the most significant approaches to mitochondrial theories of aging.
A closely related subdivision of the mitochondrial cell degeneration theory of aging is the free radical theory. Most molecules in the body operate in a stable and predictable manner, however instability can still occur, particularly in the body’s oxygen molecules. Once oxygen molecules lose their order, they are called free radicals. These chaotic particles can cause great damage to fragile areas and thrive in mitochondrial areas, as each mitochondrion performs respiration for cells. Due to their lack of protection, mitochondrial DNA strands are among the most vulnerable to a free radical attack.
Mitochondria have other key functions besides energy production, and each of these functions may serve as a lens in mitochondrial theories of aging. For example, substances are an important cornerstone of cell division, whereby one cell divides into multiple new cells. This process helps replace old, worn-out cells, so if cell division slows or stops, the effects of old cell proliferation will be felt both inside and outside the body. Dysfunctional mitochondria will have a major impact on cell division capabilities.
On a related note, these structures may also largely dictate programmed cell death: a process in which cells essentially self-destruct. Several processes that might facilitate this suicide include DNA fragmentation, mutation of cell membranes, and cell nucleus disruption and shrinkage. If programmed cell death occurs through aging, as many researchers believe, then the role of the mitochondrion in facilitating programmed cell death adds another facet to mitochondrial theories of aging.
Cells can communicate with each other largely due to mitochondria as well. Mitochondria aid in cell signaling, where cells transmit pulses of information related to balance, tissue repair, and other processes. Prolonged mitochondrial damage can cause errors in this information processing. Researchers focused on fallacy theories blame this result on many diseases. Aging theorists can also attribute faulty cell signaling to aging processes.
Many factors can influence the health and functioning of a mitochondrion. As mentioned above, the free radical theory provides an explanation for faulty mitochondria. Cellular mutations can inflict similar damage, and these mutations can result from diet, inherited conditions, or just by chance. Sometimes, damage occurs from natural wear and tear over time. Since most skin cells have only one mitochondria to sustain them for life, it is perhaps unsurprising that the skin is one of the most visible areas for the effects of aging.
Research into mitochondrial theories of aging has led to some remedy recommendations. For one thing, B-complex vitamins are thought to alleviate and correct some of the enzyme defection caused by mitochondrial damage. Furthermore, the substances lipoic acid and alcar can redirect the energy-producing activities of the brain towards the mitochondria when these processes have otherwise been impeded.
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