**2. The role of mitochondria in the normal heart**

Mitochondria have long been described as the powerhouses of the cell. They are responsible for the generation of ATP, the main energy currency of the cell, while playing important roles in intracellular signaling, activation of apoptosis, and other mechanisms. Little information is currently available on mitochondrial function in the normal human heart as most of the studies on the role of mitochondria have relied on animal models, which may not be representative of the human. However, the development of new methods to study mitochondrial function provides an opportunity to use the small amount of tissue available from surgeries to understand mitochondrial function. In the near future, we expect more studies to be developed utilizing these techniques.
