Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Small but Mighty

Specialised mitochondria identified in the branches of brain cells

24 February 2019

Small but Mighty

Commonly referred to as the ‘powerhouse of the cell’, mitochondria are tiny units that fuel the cells in our body by converting oxygen and nutrients into energy. Most mitochondria in our cells are long and tubular, so neuroscientists have long wondered why there's a sub-group of mitochondria in brain cells (neurons) that are not only much smaller but also spherical. A possible answer is that thousands of these mitochondria (right, stained in white) need to fit into the slender branches that grow out of neurons (left, stained in green). These branches allow neurons to communicate with one another, and to do so they need the energy generated by mitochondria. Without a readily available supply of energy, there would be no fuel to build and power this superhighway of brain cell connections.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.