Mitochondrial Diseases
- What it is
What are mitochondria?
Mitochondria are present in nearly every single cell of our body. Although most of our DNA is kept in the nucleus of each cell, mitochondria have their own set of DNA (mtDNA).
Mitochondria are often considered the ‘power battery’ of our body as their main function is to make energy from oxygen and food. They produce about 90% of the energy that our body needs to function
What are mitochondrial diseases?
Mitochondrial diseases (or in short, mito) are a group of chronic genetic disorders which occur when mitochondria fail to produce sufficient energy for our body to function properly.
Therefore, it usually affects body parts that require high levels of energy – which are most of our organs that are used daily.
How common are mitochondrial diseases?
It is estimated that around
one in 5,000 people are affected by mito.
