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The enzymes known as carnitine
palmitoyl transferase I and II are involved in the transport of
long-chain fatty acids through the mitochondrial membranes.
Mitochondria
have two
membranes, an inner and an outer, visible in this electron
microscope photograph. The many infoldings or cristae of the
inner membrane increase the surface area where biochemical reactions
can take place.
Mitochondria
appear to be two-dimensional in electron micrographs, but in reality
they more closely resemble the three-dimensional drawing seen
here.
Each cell in our
body contains 500-2,000 mitochondria. The exceptions are red blood
cells, which have no mitochondria, and platelets, which have only
1-6.
Mitochondria generate energy by breaking down carbohydrates and
fats. |
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Drawing of one molecule of myoglobin with heme group, an
iron-containing ring and source of the red color.
Myoglobin is
released from skeletal muscle cells when they are damaged and is
quickly filtered into urine by the kidneys. Myoglobinuria refers
to the presence of myoglobin in urine.
Myoglobinuria has
been described as cola-colored, tea-colored, rust-colored, pinkish,
rosy, reddish-brown or black. |
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Skeletal muscle with speckled cell damage resulting from rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis is
defined as the breakdown of muscle tissue which results in elevated
levels of creatine kinase (CK ) in blood.
The earliest
modern report of rhabdomyolysis occurred in 1911 in a German medical
journal. |
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Skeletal muscle with patchy, moth-eaten type I fibers resulting from
malignant
hyperthermia (MH).
Type
I fibers
are more affected by MH than type II because they have a lower
capacity for anaerobic metabolism and are more quickly depleted of
ATP or muscle fuel.
People with
neuromuscular disorders may be at risk for developing MH when given
certain general anesthetics prior to surgery. |
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