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Mitochondria: An energy explanation for autism

People with autism have more mutations than others do in both mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA that affects mitochondrial function.

By Laura Dattaro

22 November 2021 | 3 min watch

https://doi.org/10.53053/EKOQ3250

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Illustration by Mengxin Li

Almost every human cell teems with a potpourri of tiny powerhouses: mitochondria. Up to thousands of them. These organelles use oxygen to convert the nutrients from the food you eat into a form of energy the body can use. The brain consumes a lot of this energy — about 20 percent. Could changes in mitochondria, then, affect how the brain functions and contribute to autism? Read the related article, Meet the ‘mitomaniacs’ who say mitochondria matter in autism.