Mitochondria's role in neurodegenerative diseases clearer thanks to mouse study
Friday, September 19, 2014 - 11:01
in Biology & Nature
A new study sheds light on a longstanding question about the role of mitochondria in debilitating and fatal motor neuron diseases and resulted in a new mouse model to study such illnesses. Mitochondria are organelles -- compartments contained inside cells -- that serve several functions, including making ATP, a nucleotide that cells convert into chemical energy to stay alive. For this reason mitochondria often are called "cellular power plants."