Mitochondrial DNA

The genetic material of the mitochondria, the organelles that generate energy for the cell. See also cell, genome, nucleus

The genetic material found in mitochondria, the organelles that generate energy for the cell. Not inherited in the same fashion as nucleic DNA. See also: cell, DNA, genome, nucleus

(Abbreviation: mtDNA). A circular DNA found in mitochondria. In mammals, mtDNA makes up less than 1% of the total DNA, but in plants the amount is variable. It encodes rRNA and tRNA and some mitochondrial proteins (up to 30 in animals).

Genetic material inside the mitochondria. Essentially all the mitochondria of an individual come from the cytoplasm of the egg, so all mitochondrial DNA is inherited through the maternal line.