Page 70 - The Miracle of Electricity in the Body

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THE MOVEMENT OF MITOCHONDRIA

Mitochondria are mobile organelles. They relocate,
split and splice. Some remain stationary, some relo-
cate within the cell. The balance between splitting
and splicing regulates the number of mitochondria
the body needs. The relocation ability of the mito-
chondria allows them to migrate within the cell to ar-
eas that require more energy.
The nerve cells carrying electrical currents are spe-
cial cells, and some of them can exceed a meter in length.
In a meter long cell, mitochondria require sensitive sensors to
be able to migrate to the area that requires energy. They need to
know where the energy production will be higher, where they should
remain stationary or in what situations they should increase their
numbers to produce more energy. In addition to this, all mitochon-
dria have to be managed by a superior intelligence in a systematic
manner.
Within the cell, mitochondria can travel one millionth of a meter
per second. Therefore, it takes weeks for a mitochondrion to travel a
meter long nerve cell from one end to another. 45 Clearly, long-term
planning is required for a migration process that requires weeks.
The quality control of mitochondria is a miracle in itself. The