Maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is generally observed in many eukaryotes. Sperm-derived paternal mitochondria and their mtDNA enter the oocyte cytoplasm upon fertilization and then normally disappear during early embryogenesis.

Where does maternal inheritance come from?

A form of inheritance wherein the traits of the offspring are maternal in origin due to the expression of extranuclear DNA present in the ovum during fertilization.

What is maternal inheritance in genetics?

Maternal inheritance is a group of conceptually related phenomena associated with uniparental inheritance of organelle genomes, cytoplasmic elements, symbionts, substances, and factors, as well as parent-of-origin gene expression effects, and maternally controlled genomic imprinting.