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

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Housekeeping Benefits

Mitochondrial damage activates a cell's complex of proteins called the inflammasome to dispose of the dysfunctional cell

08 April 2023

Housekeeping Benefits

Mitochondria, seen in these human skin cells as turquoise dots, are microscopic power plants creating the molecular energy required for cellular functions. There are many mitochondria within a cell and many cells within a tissue allowing some damage and dysfunction to be tolerated. Nevertheless, detection systems exist to keep a check on mitochondrial damage and one such system is a protein called NLRP10. In response to mitochondrial damage, NLRP10 directs formation of an inflammasome (red colour) – a complex of proteins that drive production of inflammatory molecules to recruit immune cells to dispose of the dysfunctional cell. Interestingly, though the process involves inflammasomes and immune cells, the rapid elimination of damaged cells in this way seems to prevent more serious tissue inflammation. Indeed, people with NLRP10 mutations can develop a persistent skin inflammation called atopic dermatitis. Much like our homes, then, our bodies seem to benefit from timely trash removal too.

Written by Ruth Williams

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.