• GENERAL RESEARCH

6 things your cells did today

There are many types of cells within your body – all helping you to function and experience the world around you on a daily basis. Here’s how 6 types of cells contributed to your quality of life today!

Human cells

Your cells helped your heart beat today

Each time your heart beats, there’s a cellular process at play. A group of cells known as pacemaker cells send signals that cause your blood to pump through to your ventricles, which fill with blood before a part of your heart structure - called an AV node – signals for blood to be pumped out of your heart. This happens around 100,000 times per day!

Your cells helped you see today

You’re probably not aware of the complex series of events occurring right now, allowing you to read this article. But, to take these words in, light has to pass through the front layer of your eye and pupil to the inner lens of your eye, through to a tissue layer at the back of your eye – your retina. When this light reaches your retina, your eye’s photoreceptor cells convert the light into signals that travel into your brain where they are converted into images that you can make sense of. Pretty cool stuff, right?!

Your cells helped you taste today

Think of all the great flavors you’ve tasted today – or perhaps the ones you’re looking forward to. These daily highlights are thanks, in part, to the sensory cells within your taste buds. When you consume food, a chemical is released in your mouth which connects with a sensory cell and activates one of your many nerve cells. Once activated, this cell sends messages to other nerve cells, which tell your brain what the flavor was that you tasted. Who knew such a major production was going on behind the scenes of every bite?!

Your cells helped you move today

Types of cells

Every time you move your body today, it’s thanks to your motor neurons. These cells, located in your spinal cord, are what connect your brain to your body’s muscles. They can be over one meter long and work to send signals down your spinal cord to individual muscles. While you might not be putting much thought into every tiny muscle movement, your brain is. It tells individual neurons exactly what to do so that your muscles can work in coordinated stages, allowing you to complete both simple and complex daily movements.

Your cells helped you feel the world around you today

Another type of neuron, named interneurons, also reside within your spinal cord. They act as a middleman and relay messages from your motor and sensory neurons back to the brain. Every time you touch something, these interneurons let your central nervous system know about it - so you can experience different textures, temperatures and find your way around the house in the dark when the power’s out!

Your cells protected your organs today

Your adipocytes work every day to store energy and keep your organs snug and safe within you. How? They store fat under your skin and around your organs (visceral tissue). They also have several other roles within your body’s thermal insulation process and hormone production.

Learn how to take care of your cells – so they can take care of you

skin cells and mitochondria

The Heart-Brain Connection

While it may seem like the brain and heart run independently, these two arms of the body are both intricately interwoven with one another. While scientists continue to uncover the depths of their relationship, here's what you need to know about how their line of communication influences your body.

Read more

Mitochondria and cells

5 incredible scientific breakthroughs in 2023

While we've experienced many advancements here at MitoQ in 2023, we can't help but reflect on some of the incredible break-throughs in the wider world of science this year.

Read more