Mitochondrial DNA, and the diseases it causes
Mitochondria evolved from bacteria more than a billion years ago. This occurred when the bacteria colonized in primordial eukaryotic cells that did not have the ability to use oxygen metabolically. This evolution was a better way to produce energy with aerobic metabolism. Mitochondria produce ATP through oxidative phosphorolation. Mitochondria are the only organelles within the cell excluding the nucleus to have their own type of DNA known as mtDNA . They also replicate, transcribe, and translate their DNA indepently of nuclear DNA. With this in mind, the cell needs Mitochondria to function, and vice versa. Mitochondria, is inherited maternally, all mitochondria in the zygote, derive from the ovum. There are occasional cases, that it could be inherited paternally. This is a recent finding, it is rare for it to happen but not impossible since the tail structure of a sperm, has mtDNA attached. Mitochondria consists of an outer mem
It depletes muscle mitochondrial DNA and causes mitochondrial myopathy. It is different from other mtDNA inherited diseases. LHON (Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy)LHON is probably the most famous of all the diseases caused by mtDNA, mostly due to the fact that it was the first one to be associated with mitochondria. It usually occurs in patients that have a family history, are obese, or are older than forty years of age. Diabetes MellitusThe following disease known as Diabetes mellitus, is one of the more devastating disease cuased by mitochondrial DNA. Those observations are large deletions in Mitochondrial DNA found in patients that have mitochondrial myopathies, and a mutation in mtDNA found in patients with LHON (Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy). Its DNA mutates ten times more than nuclear DNA andis also exposed to oxygen free radicals that have been generated through oxidative phosphorylation. Myoclinic epilepsyThe next topic is Myoclinic epilepsy, wich is similar to a seizure, it is characterized by chronic jerking. MELAS syndromeThe first syndrome or disease to talk about is MELAS syndrome, MELAS stands for Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis. Diseases inherited from mtDNAThe evidence that mtDNA was involved in disease comes from two major observations. Each cell has hundred to thousands of mitochondria, each individual mitochondria has five mitochondrial genomes. Symptoms will be seen as early as adolescence, this disease is inherited, and is suspected to be caused by mtDNA. Mitochondrail diseases are mostly attributed to mtDNA mutations. Many diseases are caused by mtDNA including Melas Syndrome, Myoclonic epilepsy, Diabetes mellitus, and LHON.
Common topics in this essay:
Mitochondria Mitochondria,
Lactic Acidosis,
LHON Leber's,
Diabetes Mellitus,
LHON Mitochondrail,
Mitochondrial DNA,
Syndrome Myoclonic,
diabetes mellitus,
melas syndrome,
mitochondrial dna,
caused mtdna,
diseases caused mtdna,
leber's hereditary optic,
hereditary optic neuropathy,
found patients,
leber's hereditary,
diseases caused,
hereditary optic,
myoclinic epilepsy,
lhon leber's hereditary,
nuclear dna,
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