In Towson Tigers a rare mutation in a mitochondrial gene causes both diabetes and deafness. A female tiger with the mutation is mated to a male tiger without the condition.
A. What proportion of the female offspring will inherit this trait?
B. What proportion of the male offspring will inherit this trait?
Mitochondrial inheritence is also called maternal inheritence because the mt-DNA is is contributed to the offsprings by the egg cell (female) and not by the male. All the offsprings got the mitochondrial trait from their mother side. When a rare mutation occured in the mt DNA of the female and mate with a normal male then-
1. All the female offsprings (100%) will inherit this trait since the mitochondrail genome is donated by the female parent.
B. All the male offsprings (100%) will inherit this trait since the mitochondrail genome is donated by the female parent.
This inheritence pattern does not follow Mendelian principles and all offsprings (irrespective of male and female) got the mitochondrial trait form mother.
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