COX7C encodes cytochrome c oxidase subunit 7C, a component of mitochondrial respiratory complex IV that catalyzes the final step of oxidative phosphorylation. The protein participates in the electron transport chain, facilitating the reduction of molecular oxygen to water while generating ATP 1. COX7C demonstrates tissue-specific roles, with deficiency in cardiac tissue causing mitochondrial dysfunction, altered cellular respiration, and metabolic shifts toward glycolysis in atrial cardiomyocytes 1. The gene serves as a tumor suppressor in gastric adenocarcinoma, where decreased expression correlates with poor prognosis, while overexpression inhibits cell viability, promotes apoptosis, and reduces migration and invasion 2. COX7C mRNA exhibits unique axonal co-transport with mitochondria in neurons through a coding region-dependent mechanism, enabling local protein synthesis at distant neuronal sites 3. Clinically, COX7C expression serves as a biomarker for venous thromboembolism in colon cancer patients 4 and shows altered expression in diabetes-related sepsis 5. Additionally, COX7C deletion in Aspergillus fumigatus confers multidrug resistance through reduced intracellular drug concentration and heme B accumulation 6. These findings highlight COX7C's fundamental role in mitochondrial function and its clinical relevance across multiple pathological conditions.