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Isolation and Functional Analysis of Mitochondria from Cultured Cells and Mouse Tissue
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Propagation of electromagnetic radiation in mitochondria?

Roland Thar1, Michael Kühl

  • 1Marine Biological Laboratory Helsingør, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, Helsingør 3600, Denmark. rthar@zi.ku.dk

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|August 11, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Mitochondria generate light through reactive oxygen species. Their network structure acts as an optical waveguide, potentially enabling lasing action and long-range communication via electromagnetic radiation.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Quantum Optics

Background:

  • Mitochondria produce ultra-weak chemiluminescence from reactive oxygen species during oxidative metabolism.
  • Vertebrate cells feature filamentous mitochondria forming a network (mitochondrial reticulum) with cytoskeleton microtubules.
  • The mitochondrial reticulum's higher refractive index compared to cytoplasm enables it to function as an optical waveguide.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the optical properties of the mitochondrial reticulum.
  • To investigate the potential for lasing action within mitochondria.
  • To explore the possibility of long-range mitochondrial communication via electromagnetic radiation.

Main Methods:

  • Optical modeling of mitochondria as multi-layer systems with varying refractive indices.
  • Application of the transfer-matrix method to analyze electromagnetic radiation propagation.
  • Analysis of the relationship between mitochondrial physiology and optical parameters.

Main Results:

  • Mitochondria's inner structure can be optically modeled as a multi-layer system.
  • The mitochondrial reticulum acts as an optical waveguide for electromagnetic radiation.
  • The multi-layer system within mitochondria could support lasing action if light emission is induced.

Conclusions:

  • The mitochondrial reticulum's optical properties suggest potential for light-based phenomena.
  • Mitochondria may be capable of lasing action, similar to technical distributed feedback lasers.
  • Electromagnetic radiation could mediate long-range interactions between mitochondria, influenced by external illumination.

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