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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Immunol Rev. 2011 Sep;243(1):215–234. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065X.2011.01038.x

Fig. 1. The mitochondria as a crossroads.

Fig. 1

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that have the capacity to sense the energy status of the cell as well as a variety of cellular stresses and the power to respond to dire situations with the initiation of cell death. Mitochondria power the cell processes by producing energy in the form of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, and the reactive oxygen species generated as a byproduct of mitochondrial respiration are potent signaling molecules that can modulate protein functions.