mtDNA
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welcome. 		An A to G point mutation
at position 3243 on the
Mitochondrial DNA
causes MELAS and MIDD.
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Mitochondrial DNA - An Introduction.

Most people are initially surprised that Mitochondria, (which occur in virtually every living cells), are derived from bacteria. However, once this is accepted, it not that surprising that Mitochondria have their own DNA, called Mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA for short.

mtDNA varies between species.
In simpler organisms, the mtDNA is larger. Human mtDNA is amongst the smallest found.

mtDNA compared to Nuclear DNA
mtDNA is not at all like the DNA found in the nucleus of the cell, which is called Nuclear DNA to distinguish it from mtDNA. For example, in humans :-

Human Nuclear DNA Human mtDNA
Very Large:
About 3 billion (3,000,000,000) base pairs of DNA.		 Very Small:
Exactly 16,568 base pairs of DNA.
Very Complex:
   Encodes about 30,000 proteins.
These proteins undertake a vast range of tasks.		 Comparatively simple:
   Encodes 13 parts of proteins.
Very Long Chains: Small Circular Loop:
One copy per cell:
   One maternal and one paternal.		 Many copies per cell:
   Each cell has many Mitochondria, and
   Each Mitochondrion has many mtDNA.

See Also
Evidence mtDNA has bacterial origins
mtDNA


Author: Andy Collinson. Although I don't have any medical qualifications, as a sufferer of Diabetes, Deafness and Tinnitus caused by the A3243G mtDNA defect, I do have a very keen interest in the subject.

Date Page Updated: 25 April 2005
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