Mitochondrial DNA

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Mitochondrial DNA (mDNA or mtDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from organic compounds into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the DNA contained in a eukaryotic cell; most of the DNA is in the cell nucleus, and, in plants and algae, the DNA also is found in plastids, such as chloroplasts. Encoded in mitochondrial DNA are 13 of the essential subunits that compose the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system, which has a role in cellular energy metabolism. Human mitochondrial DNA was the first significant part of the human genome to be sequenced. This sequencing revealed that human mtDNA has 16,569 base pairs and encodes 13 proteins. As in other vertebrates, the human mitochondrial genetic code differs slightly from nuclear DNA. Mitochondrial DNA has been established by scientists to be genetically inherited from the biological mother. Since animal mtDNA evolves faster than nuclear genetic...

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