Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Mitochondria and the Mob

An article in USA Today reports that new mitochondrial DNA testing techniques may help to identify the murderer of a number of Mob figures buried in swamps around the New York City metropolitan area.Mitochondria, the organelles in animal cells responsible…
February 22, 2005

An article in USA Today reports that new mitochondrial DNA testing techniques may help to identify the murderer of a number of Mob figures buried in swamps around the New York City metropolitan area.

Mitochondria, the organelles in animal cells responsible for respiration, carry their own DNA. The discovery of mitochondrial DNA was one of the triggers for the Endosymbiosis Hypothesis of cell evolution, which holds that eukaryotic cells, which have differentiated internal parts, evolved from an alliance of prokaryotes (such as bacteria), early in the history of life on earth.

Here’s the funny part: because mitochondria are inherited through the maternal line, m-DNA analysis is particularly good at identifying blood relatives. (Strike one for Cosa Nostra.) Also, mitochondria appear to be closely related to blue-green algae, which brings us back to the swamps mentioned earlier. (Oh, the irony!)

Who says evolution doesn’t have a sense of humor?

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.