Sunlight is the primary source of energy for many organisms on the planet. The most direct utilization of light is photosynthesis, during which chlorophyll-containing chloroplasts in plants convert light energy into biological energy in the form of adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP). Conventional understanding is mammalian cells do not directly use sunlight for ATP production; however, current research has suggested that mammalian mitochondria can increase ATP production in the presence of light and a light-absorbing chlorophyll metabolite. The research presented here has extended this research to human cells. It has been shown that mitochondria from human epithelial cells and human kidney epithelial cells increase ATP production when light and the chlorophyll metabolite are present.  Experimental details and the results of the chlorophyll-light experiments are presented.

Evidence that mammalian mitochondria can increase ATP production in the presence of light and a chlorophyll metabolite

251st National Meeting (2016)

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