Figure 1.

Perturbation of mitochondrial bioenergetics and dynamics in aging. Illustration demonstrating how aging negatively affects mitochondrial bioenergetics and dynamics in aging. In aged humans and animals, higher levels of mutations and deletions in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lead to reduced mitochondrial protein expression and impairments in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which exacerbates the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondria also appear fragmented and swollen while also displaying impaired mitophagy and trafficking to neuronal compartments such dendrites and axons.