mitochondrial DNA

Many 23andMe customers that contact Customer Care are confused by their haplogroup assignments and what they actually mean. But knowing your haplogroup, and how you can use it, can give...

Researchers believe that mitochondrial DNA may be involved in autism.  Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child and found in the cell's mitochondria. These are distinct structures that act as a power plant for the cells by converting oxygen and simple sugars into readily-usable energy.

The 23rd Chromosome This month we’ve run a series of quizzes for the back-to-school season. Here’s are the answers to our third and final quiz. Congratulations to Toni K., who...

Mothers are special on so many levels. We cherish them for loving us and imparting important life lessons… and for giving us mitochondria (or “mito” for short)! Mitochondria are small,...

There are many examples around the world of two distinct ethnic groups living side by side. Sometimes these groups co-exist peacefully. Other times they do not. Often two groups’ differences...

Just over 20 years ago, the first study using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to trace prehistoric human migrations was published. In this seminal study, scientists managed to determine that all humans...

It seems like new discoveries about the peopling of the Americas are a dime a dozen these days.   Without a doubt, the journey those first Americans took from the...

This guest post is by Brenna Henn, a doctoral student in Stanford University’s Department of Anthropology and a 23andMe consultant. Brenna studies human evolution using genetic information. Her interests include...

One of the most infamous emperors of Chinese antiquity was the very first: Qin Shi Huang.  Also known as Ying Zheng, he ruled the Chinese state of Qin from 247-210...

If anybody could turn the history of genetic anthropology into a page-turner, it would be Bryan Sykes. Sykes, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, has spent the...