Mitochondria can power cells to life and death. Role of mitochondria in apoptosis

Abstract

Mitochondria serve as power houses of cells but they also possess 'covered' knives to kill the cells. A number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors exist which regulate cell killing by mitochondria. Caspases are comparable to a surgeon's knife, which can be used to sculpt organisms, get rid of wayward, redundant and incorrigibly damaged cells, but can spell doom if not controlled properly.