Advances in the analysis of single mitochondria

Mitochondria are both morphologically and functionally diverse, and this variety is thought to have important biological ramifications. The development of methods to probe the properties of individual mitochondria is therefore of utmost importance. Recent advances have been made using in situ microscopy techniques and methods to investigate isolated mitochondria, including flow cytometry, capillary electrophoresis, patch-clamping and optical trapping. Such techniques have been used to study metabolism, mitochondrial calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis, and other properties.