There’s a reason I’m starting this article with the mitochondria.They’re the part of the cell that creates energy, the very foundation of cellular rejuvenation. A young cell is characterized by optimal energy production.
Slow down that production, and you begin the aging process. The goal, therefore, is to rev up your cellular metabolism—the chemical and physiological processes by which the body builds and maintains itself and by which it breaks down food and nutrients to produce energy.
To understand the concepts of cellular metabolism and rejuvenation, we need to understand the inner workings of the cell—in particular, the mitochondria, sometimes called the “cellular power plants” because they metabolize food-derived chemicals to produce energy.
Mitochondria are responsible for converting nutrients and oxygen into the energy-yielding molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to fuel the cell’s activities.Without energy, the cell can no longer repair itself, resulting in cellular breakdown.
One of the things that makes the mitochondria unique is that they have their own set of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules.We are all familiar with DNA, which is the material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information.
But what many people are not aware of is that the mitochondria also contain DNA, above and beyond the DNA found in the nucleus of the cell. Unfortunately, the primary site of damage to the cell is in the DNA found in the mitochondria. The DNA in the mitochondria is at exceptional risk because of the free radicals produced in this tiny furnace during energy production. The cell automatically fixes much of the damage done to nuclear DNA; however, the DNA in the mitochondria cannot be as readily fixed. Therefore, extensive DNA damage accumulates over time and shuts down the mitochondria, causing the cells to die
and the organism to age.
There have been many theories of aging; one of the most significant is the free-radical theory proposed by Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D.A free radical is a molecule that is missing an electron in its outer orbit. Dr. Harman first suggested that free radicals alter the molecular structure of the cell, causing damage to the cell. They do this by stealing their missing electron from other molecules to complete their outer orbit. In other words, free radicals are molecules that want to join with other molecules, and by doing so they cause cellular damage.
As is often the case with pioneering work in the scientific worlds, Dr. Harman’s theories were essentially ignored for decades. However, scientists now recognize and acknowledge the importance of free radicals in the aging process. It is also well established that free radicals play an active role in very diverse, age-related diseases.
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