“The common perception of mitochondria as bean-shaped likely stems from textbook and cartoon depictions,” he says, which are in turn based on microscope images of thin slices through them.

Tiny factories float inside our cells and provide them with almost all the energy they need: the mitochondria. Their effectiveness decreases when we get older, but also when we face many diseases ...

People often refer to mitochondria as the powerhouses of the cell. Their main function is to generate the energy necessary to power cells, but they are also involved in cell signaling and death.

“These cells are metabolically really active,” said Lewis. “And cells that are metabolically active need a lot of mitochondria.” The researchers want to determine how the numbers, sizes, and ...