In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements:
1. Passing on mitochondrial diseases

Question

In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements:
1. Passing on mitochondrial diseases from parent to child can be prevented by mitochondrial replacement therapy either before or after in vitro fertilization of the egg.
2. A child inherits mitochondrial diseases entirely from mother and not from father.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Mitochondria, containing their own DNA, are passed down almost exclusively from the mother to her offspring through the egg cell. Therefore, a child inherits mitochondrial diseases entirely from the mother. Mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) is a technique used to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases by replacing the cytoplasm of an egg with that from a donor egg, which is then fertilized. This procedure is typically performed on the egg before IVF.