Question

Noah is a 3-year-old boy recently diagnosed with epilepsy. He presented to his pediatric advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in a primary care clinic with 2 weeks of increased seizure activity after a medication change. Symptoms also included a sudden increase in lethargy, ataxia, and drowsiness. Test results showed elevated ammonia, liver function, and an abnormal electroencephalogram reading. Which cell organelle is not working properly?

Answer 1

Mitochondria

Step-by-step explanation:

Mitochondrial diseases are a group of diseases caused by dysfunctional mitochondria, organelles that generate energy for the cell. Mitochondrial diseases are often caused by mutations, acquired, or inherited in the mitochondrial DNA or nuclear genes that code for respiratory chain complexes in the mitochondrion. Mitochondrial diseases involve multiple organs and show heterogeneous and unpredictable progression. The most common clinical presentation of mitochondrial diseases is encephalomyopathy, and epileptic seizures can frequently occur as a presenting sign of mitochondrial encephalopathy.