BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
Scientists are studying Jonathan the tortoise's genes to understand how his mitochondria stay youthful. While the research is promising, they stress that the link to his long life still needs testing. If successful, this could inform human longevity studies, but protecting human mitochondria is a complex challenge with no immediate answers.
Stories that explain this
Secrets of a 194-Year-Old Tortoise's Long Life RevealedQuestions this opens up
Are there human longevity studies? What is mitochondrial medicine? How do genes protect mitochondria?Related explainers
Could humans live longer? What are mitochondria? How do mitochondria get damaged? What does DNA analysis show? How old is the oldest animal? How do tortoises defy ageing? What about human doctors? How do AI firms protect us?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under W →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.