Your patient's parents ask you why their child's mitochondria do not function properly. You explain that one explanation is that mitochondria contain their own ________, which may contain mistakes called ________, resulting in insufficient mitochondrial activity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mitochondria contain their own DNA, called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which can contain mutations, resulting in decreased mitochondrial function. Missense mutations are a type of mutation that results in a single amino acid change in a protein and are not specific to mitochondrial DNA. Plasmids are not found in eukaryotic cells like mitochondria. Normal microbiota are not relevant to this question. Mismatches refer to errors in DNA replication and are not specific to mitochondrial DNA mutations.

Your Patient's Parents Ask You Why Their Child's Mitochondria Do