Unexpected genetic heritage of the father

2002/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Genetika

Genes are not only in the nucleus of the cell, but also in structures called mitochondria. Somehow, it’s a ‘fossilized’ genetic material and so far it was thought that we all received only that of the mother. In fact, the studies of mitochondrial DNA are very used in paleoanthropology to follow in time the origin of the human being. But it is that a Danish woman has a mutation of her father in the DNA of her mitochondria. In mammals it is very rare to receive DNA from the father's mitochondria, and in humans this is the first known case.