Mitochondria are fascinating little organelles that dwell in almost every cell in our body. Unlike other parts of the cell, mitochondria are almost a cell of their own. In fact, they are almost entirely separate organisms, with genetic material that is entirely different from the rest of the body. For example, we generally accept that we inherit half of our genetic material from our mother, and half from our father. This is not quite true. Mitochondrial DNA divides in a different fashion, and is inherited almost entirely from the mother. Many scientists believe that mitochondria are an example of a longstanding symbiotic relationship, in which bacteria long ago merged with our cells so that...
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