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Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondria are structures inside the cells of the body that are responsible for energy
production. They contain their own DNA, and they replicate
independently from the cell. Mitochondria are passed through a mother’s
egg directly to both her sons and daughters. In turn, her daughter, but not her son, passes
mitochondrial DNA to her children. Because mitochondrial DNA is passed through
the maternal line, from mother to child, it contains information about a small number
of a person’s ancestors. However, since it passes from generation to
generation with very little change, mitochondrial DNA is a rich source of information for deep
ancestry, going back thousands of years.