Scientists have a crystal ball on their hands: bursts of activity in the energy-producing mitochondria in a worm’s cells accurately predict how long it will live.
The findings, published today in Nature1, suggest that an organism’s lifespan is, for the most part, predictable in early adulthood. Unlike other biomarkers for ageing, which work under limited conditions, these mitochondrial bursts are a stable predictor for a variety of genetic, environmental and developmental histories.
Image: BILL LONGCORE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY - Bursts of activity in a mitochondrion produce free radicals that can damage the cell powerhouses.
To read the original article: Lifespans predictable at early age : Nature News & Comment
