
ABSTRACT In a 2018 paper and a subsequent article published in 2023, researchers reported that mitochondria maintain temperatures 10°C–15°C higher than the surrounding cytoplasm—a finding that deviates by five to six orders of magnitude from theoretical predictions based on Fourier's law of heat conduction. In 2022, we proposed a solution to this apparent paradox. In the present perspective, we build upon that framework and introduce new ideas to further unravel how a biological membrane—whether of an organelle or a whole cell—can become significantly warmer than its environment. We propose that ion‐translocating proteins embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) can be modeled as ratchet engines, introducing a novel, previously overlooked mode of heat transfer. This mechanism, coupled with localized heat release during the cyclical dehydration‐translocation‐hydration of ions through membrane proteins, may generate transient but substantial temperature spikes. The cumulative thermal occupancy of these microscopic events across the three‐dimensional surface of the IMM can account for the elevated temperatures detected by molecular probes.
FOS: Biological sciences, Subcellular Processes, Subcellular Processes (q-bio.SC), Article
FOS: Biological sciences, Subcellular Processes, Subcellular Processes (q-bio.SC), Article
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
