Losing Your Mitochondria - Essay Example

Question: In Madeleine L'Engle's children's novel A Wrinkle in Time, the mitochondria in one of the characters start to die. Describe what would happen to people who lost their mitochondria, and explain why it would happen.

Muscles are the parts of the human body that are mainly affected because every muscle is filled with mitochondria. Mitochondria found in the muscles convert the energy stored in fats to water and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the main energy building blocks of both humans and animals.

Just as electricity is essential to maintain the function and everyday living of those in the city, the mitochondria serve the same function in that the energy they produced is needed for the cells to function. The lack of some or all of the mitochondria can cut off the essential energy supply in the body, including those in the nerve and muscle cells which require high energy needs. Thus, muscular and neurological alterations are the common manifestations experienced by people who lost their mitochondria. Among the manifestations include symptoms of autism or cerebral palsy, three or more organ affectations (eye, muscles, brain), and infections and setbacks of chronic disease.

In general, the loss of mitochondria or the experience of mitochondrial disorders is attributed to the genetic defects of the family.