The article reviews the pathways of mitophagy, a selective form of autophagy that eliminates damaged mitochondria. Mitophagy is crucial for maintaining mitochondrial quality and homeostasis, as damaged mitochondria can cause cellular damage and contribute to various diseases. The review highlights the key regulators and pathways involved in mitophagy, including the mitochondrial outer membrane protein ATG32 in yeast and Nix in mammals, which recruit the autophagic machinery to mitochondria. In mammals, the PINK1 and Parkin pathway is highlighted as a critical mechanism for mitophagy, where PINK1 accumulates on damaged mitochondria and recruits Parkin, which promotes ubiquitination and degradation of mitochondrial proteins. The article also discusses the role of mitophagy in specific contexts, such as erythrocyte maturation, hypoxia, and embryogenesis, and its relevance in neurons, where defects in mitophagy have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. The review emphasizes the need for further research to understand the mechanisms and physiological triggers of mitophagy, particularly in neurons.The article reviews the pathways of mitophagy, a selective form of autophagy that eliminates damaged mitochondria. Mitophagy is crucial for maintaining mitochondrial quality and homeostasis, as damaged mitochondria can cause cellular damage and contribute to various diseases. The review highlights the key regulators and pathways involved in mitophagy, including the mitochondrial outer membrane protein ATG32 in yeast and Nix in mammals, which recruit the autophagic machinery to mitochondria. In mammals, the PINK1 and Parkin pathway is highlighted as a critical mechanism for mitophagy, where PINK1 accumulates on damaged mitochondria and recruits Parkin, which promotes ubiquitination and degradation of mitochondrial proteins. The article also discusses the role of mitophagy in specific contexts, such as erythrocyte maturation, hypoxia, and embryogenesis, and its relevance in neurons, where defects in mitophagy have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. The review emphasizes the need for further research to understand the mechanisms and physiological triggers of mitophagy, particularly in neurons.