Uniparental inheritance: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:26, 15 February 2025

Inheritance pattern involving genes from only one parent

Uniparental Inheritance[edit]

Uniparental inheritance refers to a genetic transmission pattern where offspring inherit genes exclusively from one parent. This phenomenon is most commonly observed in the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA and chloroplast DNA, which are typically passed down from the mother in most organisms.

Mechanisms[edit]

Uniparental inheritance can occur through several mechanisms:

Maternal inheritance: This is the most common form, where the mitochondria and chloroplasts are inherited from the mother. In most animals, the egg cell contributes the majority of the cytoplasm, including organelles, to the zygote, while the sperm contributes little more than its nucleus.

Paternal inheritance: Although rare, some species exhibit paternal inheritance of organelles. This can occur in certain plants and algae where the sperm cell contributes organelles to the offspring.

Biparental inheritance: In some cases, both parents contribute organelles, but one parent's organelles are selectively degraded or silenced.

Historical Context[edit]

The concept of uniparental inheritance was first explored in the early 20th century. Carl Correns, a German botanist, was one of the pioneers in this field. He conducted experiments on plants that demonstrated non-Mendelian inheritance patterns, which led to the understanding of cytoplasmic inheritance.

Implications[edit]

Uniparental inheritance has significant implications in various fields:

Genetic diseases: Many mitochondrial diseases are inherited maternally. Understanding uniparental inheritance helps in diagnosing and managing these conditions.

Evolutionary biology: The study of uniparental inheritance provides insights into evolutionary processes and the role of organelles in genetic variation.

Biotechnology: Knowledge of uniparental inheritance is applied in genetic engineering and cloning technologies.

Related Pages[edit]

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+{{Short description|Inheritance pattern involving genes from only one parent}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
 == Uniparental Inheritance ==
+[[File:Carl_Correns.jpg|thumb|right|Carl Correns, a key figure in the study of uniparental inheritance]]
+'''Uniparental inheritance''' refers to a genetic transmission pattern where offspring inherit genes exclusively from one parent. This phenomenon is most commonly observed in the inheritance of [[mitochondrial DNA]] and [[chloroplast DNA]], which are typically passed down from the mother in most organisms.
-[[File:Carl Correns.jpg|thumb|Carl Correns, one of the rediscoverers of Mendel's laws, who also studied uniparental inheritance.]]
+=== Mechanisms ===
+Uniparental inheritance can occur through several mechanisms:
-'''Uniparental inheritance''' refers to the transmission of genetic material from only one parent to the offspring. This mode of inheritance is in contrast to biparental inheritance, where genetic material is inherited from both parents. Uniparental inheritance is commonly observed in the transmission of [[mitochondrial DNA]] and [[chloroplast DNA]] in many organisms.
-== Mechanisms ==
-In most eukaryotic organisms, mitochondria and chloroplasts are inherited maternally. This means that the offspring receive these organelles and their genetic material exclusively from the mother. The mechanism behind this involves the selective degradation of paternal mitochondria or chloroplasts during fertilization or early embryonic development.
+* '''Maternal inheritance''': This is the most common form, where the [[mitochondria]] and [[chloroplasts]] are inherited from the mother. In most animals, the egg cell contributes the majority of the cytoplasm, including organelles, to the zygote, while the sperm contributes little more than its nucleus.
-=== Mitochondrial Inheritance ===
+* '''Paternal inheritance''': Although rare, some species exhibit paternal inheritance of organelles. This can occur in certain plants and algae where the sperm cell contributes organelles to the offspring.
-Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is typically inherited from the mother. This is because the mitochondria present in the sperm are usually destroyed after fertilization, leaving only the mitochondria from the egg to be passed on to the offspring. This pattern of inheritance is observed in humans and many other animals.
+* '''Biparental inheritance''': In some cases, both parents contribute organelles, but one parent's organelles are selectively degraded or silenced.
-=== Chloroplast Inheritance ===
+=== Historical Context ===
+The concept of uniparental inheritance was first explored in the early 20th century. [[Carl Correns]], a German botanist, was one of the pioneers in this field. He conducted experiments on plants that demonstrated non-Mendelian inheritance patterns, which led to the understanding of cytoplasmic inheritance.
-In plants, chloroplasts are often inherited maternally as well. However, there are exceptions where chloroplasts can be inherited paternally or biparentally, depending on the species. The mechanism of chloroplast inheritance can vary widely among different plant species.
+=== Implications ===
+Uniparental inheritance has significant implications in various fields:
-== Historical Context ==
+* '''Genetic diseases''': Many [[mitochondrial diseases]] are inherited maternally. Understanding uniparental inheritance helps in diagnosing and managing these conditions.
-The concept of uniparental inheritance was first observed in the early 20th century. [[Carl Correns]], a German botanist and geneticist, was one of the first scientists to study this phenomenon. Correns is also known for his work in rediscovering [[Gregor Mendel]]'s laws of inheritance.
+* '''Evolutionary biology''': The study of uniparental inheritance provides insights into [[evolutionary processes]] and the role of organelles in [[genetic variation]].
-== Implications ==
+* '''Biotechnology''': Knowledge of uniparental inheritance is applied in [[genetic engineering]] and [[cloning]] technologies.
-Uniparental inheritance has significant implications for the study of [[genetics]] and [[evolution]]. It allows for the tracing of maternal lineages through mitochondrial DNA analysis, which is a powerful tool in [[phylogenetics]] and [[population genetics]]. Additionally, it has implications for understanding certain genetic diseases that are transmitted through mitochondrial DNA.
 == Related Pages ==
 * [[Mitochondrial DNA]]
 * [[Chloroplast DNA]]
-* [[Maternal inheritance]]
+* [[Cytoplasmic inheritance]]
-* [[Carl Correns]]
+* [[Non-Mendelian inheritance]]
-== References ==
-* Birky, C. W. (2001). "The inheritance of genes in mitochondria and chloroplasts: Laws, mechanisms, and models." Annual Review of Genetics, 35, 125-148.
 [[Category:Genetics]]
 [[Category:Inheritance]]