Question

patient #4 (6 - month - old male) symptoms: difficulty moving, hearing loss, difficulty swallowing, beginning to have seizures patient history: regular development until 1 month ago when he had a reduced interest in toys and loss of motor skills (developmental milestones of rolling over and sitting regressed and he lost the ability to do those things). physical exam reveals: cherry red spots in eyes, unexpected growth in head size, lack of response to visual stimuli lab results: red spots in eyes due to lipid buildup in cells of the retina, further buildup of fatty tissues on nerve cells (including the brain and spinal cord) that his body cannot break down which of the following organelles does not work? a mitochondria b flagella c cilia d golgi apparatus

Explanation:

The patient has symptoms related to lipid - storage disorder. Lysosomes are responsible for breaking down lipids and other macromolecules. Among the options, mitochondria are for energy production, flagella and cilia are for cell movement, and Golgi apparatus is for protein and lipid modification and packaging. Since the problem is related to the inability to break down fatty tissues, the non - working organelle is related to digestion of these substances. Lysosomes are not among the options, but the malfunction is related to a breakdown process that lysosomes would be involved in. However, based on the options given, the most relevant non - working organelle in the context of general cell function and the described symptoms (where there is a problem with processing of substances) is mitochondria as energy production is crucial for all cell functions and a malfunction can lead to a cascade of symptoms including those related to nerve and other cell function.

Answer:

A. mitochondria