How are mitochondrial mutations inherited?
Mitochondrial DNA inheritance comes only through the mother and is therefore completely different from nuclear (from the nucleus) DNA inheritance. The rules for recessive, dominant and X-linked inheritance don’t apply at all. An embryo receives its mitochondria from the mother’s egg cell, not the father’s sperm cell, at conception. (Research suggests that sperm mitochondria are eliminated by the egg cell.
Mitochondrial DNA inheritance comes only through the mother and is therefore completely different from nuclear (from the nucleus) DNA inheritance. The rules for recessive, dominant and X-linked inheritance don’t apply at all. An embryo receives its mitochondria from the mother’s egg cell, not the father’s sperm cell, at conception.
