First map of human brain mitochondria is ‘groundbreaking’ achievement

Scientists have produced the first map of how mitochondria — the cell’s energy-making factories — are distributed in the human brain. The team used a woodworking tool to divide a slice of frozen brain into 703 tiny cubes and determine the density of mitochondria in each. They used the brain-cube data to develop a model to predict the numbers and types of the organelles across the entire brain. The map reveals differences in the type and density of mitochondria in different brain regions. For example, grey matter, which is composed of the compact central structures of neurons, contains 50% more mitochondria than does white matter, which is primarily composed of neurons’ long, message-carrying branches. and also generates energy much more efficiently.