Knowra Mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA is the genetic material inside mitochondria. In humans, it is a small circular genome encoding 13 proteins, 22 transfer RNAs, and two ribosomal RNAs.
Human mitochondrial genome : The 16,569-base-pair circular DNA molecule found in human mitochondria, encoding 37 genes. It is the best-characterized example of the compact genome described here.
Mitochondrial DNA replication : The copying of mitochondrial DNA by specialized replication proteins within mitochondria. It maintains genome copies as mitochondria grow and divide.
Mitochondrial disease : A disorder caused by impaired mitochondrial function, often involving defects in mitochondrial or nuclear genes. Mutations in this genome can disrupt energy-producing mitochondrial proteins.
Endosymbiotic theory : The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated as bacteria incorporated into ancestral eukaryotic cells. It explains why mitochondria retain a genome separate from nuclear DNA.
Mitochondrial DNA mutation rate : The frequency at which new mutations arise in mitochondrial DNA over time or across generations. Its value depends on mutation processes, tissue, and the timescale being measured.
Mitochondrial genes : Genes encoded by mitochondrial DNA, including genes for proteins, transfer RNAs, and ribosomal RNAs. They show which parts of mitochondrial function the genome encodes directly.
Mitochondrial DNA transcription : The production of RNA from mitochondrial DNA by mitochondrial transcription machinery. Transcription turns its encoded genes into RNAs used for translation and other functions.
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy : An inherited mitochondrial disorder that causes vision loss, usually beginning in young adulthood. It is a well-known disease linked to mutations in mitochondrial DNA.
Mitochondrial genome evolution : The evolutionary change in mitochondrial genomes, including gene loss, transfer, and differences in genome structure. Its history helps explain why mitochondrial DNA encodes only a small subset of mitochondrial machinery.
Mitochondrial DNA damage : Chemical or physical alteration of mitochondrial DNA that can interfere with replication or gene expression. Damage and mutation are related but distinct, and their contributions to disease remain under study.
Show all 28