Biology A-Level
maternal inheritance
What maternal inheritance means in Biology A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of maternal inheritance
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain maternal inheritance in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
Mitochondrial DNA is typically inherited maternally via the egg's cytoplasm, so mitochondrial conditions often pass from mothers to offspring.
Topics that use maternal inheritance
- DNA, genes and chromosomes (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- alleles
- base sequence
- chromatin
- circular organelle DNA
- crossing over
- degenerate code
- endosymbiotic theory
- functional RNA
Using maternal inheritance in the exam
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