THE ENERGY 'CURRENCY'
WHAT MITOCHONDRIA DO
Mitochondria are the tiny "power packs" of cells and their job is to convert the energy of glucose, derived from food, into the chemical energy "currency" ATP.
If this vital function of the mitochondria is damaged, it results in a wide range of symptoms connected with lack of energy, such as poor growth, loss of muscle function, visual problems, learning disabilities, heart, liver and kidney disease, and neurological problems including dementia.
Illnesses caused by inherited mitochondrial disease include: Leigh syndrome, which causes a rapid decline in health after the first year of life; Leber's disease, which causes loss of vision; and MELAS syndrome, a collection of symptoms caused by mitochondrial defects.
There are many inherited diseases associated with defective mitochondria