Mitochondrial diseases

Mitochondria are found in every nucleated cell of the human body. The major function of these cell compartments is energy production. Mitochondria are the only orgenalles of the human cells that have their own genetic material – mitochondrial DNA, that is because of their bacterial ancestry. Mutations in the mtDNA as well as in the nuclear genome cause mitochondrial diseases, the symptoms of which are very diverse. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a common phenomenon of many disorders, also of neurodegenarative diseases.