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Mitochondria at the Crossroads of Life and Death
Researchers look for new tools to probe the link between mitochondria and apoptosis
The Scientist 2004, 18(19):25
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Each of our cells hangs in a delicate balance between life and death. Which path the cell takes depends on a dense web of signaling pathways that all converge on a single cellular switch, the mitochondrion. Most of the time, pro-life signals keep the mitochondrial membrane intact and encourage the organelle to churn out ATP. But when signals from the outside or accumulated toxins within the cell tip the scales, mitochondria push the cell down a carefully orchestrated pathway to death. To paraphrase the old saw, mitochondria are 99% respiration, 1% expiration.
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