It's one of the basic tenets of biology: We get our DNA from our mom and our dad.
But one notable exception has perplexed scientists for decades: Most animals, including humans, inherit the DNA inside their mitochondria -;the cell's energy centers – from their mothers alone, with all traces of their father's mitochondrial genome destroyed…
![Study reveals why paternal mitochondria must be removed during early development Study reveals why paternal mitochondria must be removed during early development](https://d2jx2rerrg6sh3.cloudfront.net/image-handler/picture/2017/1/3D_illustration_mitchondria_-_Wire_man__2906c5e1a5514570bffd716b0c282567-620x480.jpg)