Mitochondrial inheritance is the study of how mitochondrial genes are inherited. Mitochondria are cellular organelles that contain their own DNA and RNA, allowing them to grow and replicate independent of the cell. Each cell has 10,000 mitochondria each containing two to ten copies of its genome. Because mitochondria are organelles that contain their own genome, they follow an inheritance pattern different from simple Mendelian inheritance, known as extranuclear or cytoplasmic inheritance. Although they posses their own genetic material, mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles because the nuclear genome of cells still codes for some components of mitochondria.

Mitochondria are double membrane-bound organelles that function as the energy source of eukaryotic cells. Within the inner membrane of mitochondria are folds called cristae that enclose the matrix of the organelle. The DNA of mitochondria, located within the matrix, is organized into circular duplex chromosomes that lack histones and code for proteins...