What are some of the potential symptoms of mitochondrial disease?”
Mitochondrial diseases are a group of disorders relating to the mitochondria, the organelles that are the “powerhouses” of the eukaryotic cells that compose higher-order life-forms (including humans). The mitochondria convert the energy of food molecules into the ATP that powers most cell functions. Mitochondrial diseases comprise those disorders that in one way or another affect the function of the mitochondria and/or are due to mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial diseases take on unique characteristics both because of the way the diseases are often inherited and because mitochondria are so critical to cell function. The subclass of these diseases that have neuromuscular disease symptoms are often referred to as a mitochondrial myopathy. The effects of mitochondrial disease can be quite varied. Since the distribution of defective DNA may vary from organ to organ within the body, the mutation that in one person may cause liver disease might in another person cause a brain disorder. In add
