Mitochondria: mitochondrial DNA mutations

And finally, however, it is not excluded that mutations in our mitochondrial DNA may also come into play. So we’re going to talk about them a little bit, even if they’re not necessarily predominant.

The involvement of mitochondrial DNA mutations in the aging process has been proven: it has been shown that deterioration of mitochondrial DNA can lead to premature aging and shorten life span.

Although the impact of these mutations is not as deleterious as nuclear DNA mutations, scientists believe that mitochondrial DNA is likely to be more sensitive to mutations. Indeed, a mitochondria, a kind of energy center of your cells, is not a comfortable area to avoid genetic mutations. Especially since the repair mechanisms of mitochondrial DNA are much less advanced than those of nuclear DNA.