Biology as Poetry: Genetics

Bacteriophage Ecology Group

Cytoplasmic Inheritance

Description of the fact that not all of the DNA in eukaryotic cells is found in the nucleus but instead also is found within endosymbiotic organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Though indeed such cytoplasmic DNA exists, giving rise to cytoplasmic inheritance, in fact the majority of the DNA and therefore inheritance nonetheless is associated with the nucleus.

The DNA found in endosymbionts resembles that of bacterial chromosomes, as is befitting for organelles that in fact evolved from bacteria.

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