Skip to main content
Back

Organelle DNA definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/14
  • Organelle DNA
    Genetic material found within mitochondria or chloroplasts, distinct from nuclear DNA and inherited via unique mechanisms.
  • mtDNA
    Small, circular genetic material located in mitochondria, inherited maternally and crucial for cellular energy production.
  • cpDNA
    Circular genetic material present in chloroplasts, essential for photosynthesis and inherited through uniparental patterns.
  • Endosymbiont Theory
    Concept proposing mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from engulfed prokaryotic cells, explaining their independent DNA.
  • Heteroplasmy
    Cellular condition where both nuclear and organelle DNA coexist, often leading to mixed populations of organelles.
  • Homoplasmy
    State where all copies of organelle DNA within a cell are identical, resulting in uniform organelle genetic content.
  • Heavy Chain
    Strand of mitochondrial DNA enriched in guanine nucleotides, named for its greater molecular weight.
  • Light Chain
    Strand of mitochondrial DNA with higher cytosine content, lighter in molecular weight compared to its counterpart.
  • Uniparental Inheritance
    Transmission pattern where progeny receive organelle DNA exclusively from one parent, typically the mother in humans.
  • Cytoplasmic Segregation
    Process where different types of organelles are distributed into separate daughter cells during cell division.
  • Variegation
    Phenomenon in plants where regions display different colors due to uneven distribution of mutant and normal chloroplasts.
  • Codon Code
    Triplet nucleotide sequences in DNA or RNA that specify amino acids, with exceptions in organelle genomes.
  • MERRF Syndrome
    Medical disorder caused by mitochondrial mutations, characterized by symptoms such as deafness and seizures.
  • Pokey Mutant
    Fungal variant with slow growth due to mitochondrial DNA mutations, used to study cytoplasmic inheritance.