The human genome contains DNA that is similar to mtDNA. Some of this DNA shows significant levels of nucleotide divergence from human mtDNA, while other nuclear DNA shows very high levels of nucleotide identity with mtDNA. Which of the following hypotheses best explains these data?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hypothesis that mtDNA has integrated into nuclear chromosomes several times over a long span of time best explains the observed variation in nucleotide identity between nuclear DNA and mtDNA. This process, known as numt insertion (nuclear mitochondrial DNA), accounts for the presence of mitochondrial sequences in the nuclear genome, with varying degrees of divergence due to different integration events and subsequent mutations.

The Human Genome Contains DNA That Is Similar to MtDNA