What are Mitochondria?
Mitochondria are often referred to the ‘powerhouses’ of your cells and play host to one of the most important processes in your body: cellular respiration.
An average adult human body contains trillions of cells. These cells come in many different types, each with its own specific function, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and skin cells. Each cell in your body contains an average of 500 to 2,000 mitochondria. The mitochondria in your cells produce the energy, which they capture and package as energy-rich molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP): usable energy. This energy is then used to support all processes in our body, from the beating of our heart to the execution of complex thinking processes.
In addition to energy production, mitochondria have been implicated in various metabolic and cellular processes, such as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell repair, cell signalling, cell growth, and ageing. Simply put: You can see mitochondria as the batteries of our body.