ABSTRACT
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), or phototherapy, has received a
lot of attention over the last decade. It has been used with great
success in a variety of in vitro and in vivo studies to promote wound healing. The exact mechanism of action is, however, not
well understood, and a number of theories exist. Increasingly, many
researchers have studied these underlyingmechanisms, and there is
growing evidence and a general consensus thatmitochondria are the
absorbing chromophore for red and near-infrared (NIR) laser light
(600-1000 nm). Photon energy is absorbed by the mitochondrial
chromophore and is converted to chemical energy and in doing so
stimulates the cell. This chapter focuses on the effects of LLLT on
cells and explores the influence on mitochondria and adenosine
triphosphate (ATP).
