Mitochondrial genetics is the study of the genetics of the DNA contained in mitochondria. Mitochondria are small structures in cells that generate energy for the cell to use, and are hence referred to as the "powerhouses" of the cell.Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is not transmitted through nuclear DNA (nDNA), and in most multicellular organisms, virtually all mitochondria are inherited from the mother's ovum, as it is unusual for sperm cells to contribute mitochondria when fertilising ova.
Mitochondrial inheritance is therefore non-Mendelian, as Mendelian inheritance presumes that half the genetic material of a fertilized egg (zygote) derives from each parent.
Eighty percent of mitochondrial DNA codes for functional mitochondrial proteins, and therefore most mitochondrial DNA mutations lead to functional problems, which may be manifested as muscle disorders (myopathies).
Understanding the genetic mutations that affect mitochondria can help us to understand the inner workings of cells and organisms, as well as helping to suggest methods for successful therapeutic tissue and organ cloning, and to treatments or possibly cures for many devastating muscular disorders.
