The role of mitochondria in aging.

Aging is a process drawing attention of many researchers, and at present many theories exists, which try to explain this chain of inevitable events leading to death of organism. In this article we focused our attention on a theory explaining the degenerative changes occurring during aging by the effect of oxygen free radicals. These highly reactive radicals are produced during oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. All cellular components appear to be sensitive to oxygen-radical damage. Lipids, proteins and nucleic acids are probably the most susceptible to this injury. Lipoperoxidation of lipids together with cross-linking of proteins with phospholipids and nucleic acids caused changes in membrane fluidity. Mitochondrial DNA coding several subunits of respiratory chain enzymes can be also damaged by these radicals. All these changes together have negative impact on mitochondrial metabolism resulting progressive decrease of the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and thus of the whole organism.