mtDNA

You only get mtdna from your mother. That led me to more research about what this is used for and what it problems it causes when it malfunctions.

it’s very important in the the science of aging. There’s lots of research on this and dementia.Also alzheimer’s and also muscle wasting.

below is from google’s summarization:

mtdnadel +10 mtDNAdel is an abbreviation for mitochondrial DNA deletion. It refers to the loss of a portion of the circular DNA found inside mitochondria—the energy-producing powerhouses of your cells.These deletions often accumulate as cells age or undergo environmental stress. The most famous and widely studied of these is the “common deletion” (a 4977 base-pair loss).While a small percentage of mtDNAdel is normal, an excessive rate of deletions is tied to a few major areas of medical and biological research:Male Fertility: Elevated mtDNAdel rates in sperm are associated with reduced semen quality (lower motility, abnormal morphology, and lower sperm counts) and lower probabilities of achieving pregnancy naturally or via assisted reproductive technologies.Aging & Disease: High levels of mitochondrial DNA deletions impair cellular energy production. They are heavily linked to neurological disorders, muscle-wasting conditions, sensorineural hearing loss, and general cellular aging.Environmental Biomarkers: Studies have found that high rates of mtDNAdel serve as a highly sensitive biomarker for cellular oxidative stress, frequently spiking after exposure to industrial air pollution and environmental toxins.Because mitochondrial DNA lacks the robust repair mechanisms found in nuclear DNA, these mutations easily persist and replicate.