Final answer:
Traits encoded by genes located on mitochondrial DNA exhibit maternally inherited inheritance
Step-by-step explanation:
Traits encoded by genes located on mitochondrial DNA exhibit maternally inherited inheritance. Unlike traits inherited through Mendelian inheritance, which involve one gene with two alleles, non-Mendelian inheritance can include a variety of different genetic scenarios, including those involving mitochondrial DNA. Since mitochondria are passed on from mother to offspring, we can trace genealogy and evolutionary history effectively using mtDNA analysis.
Given that each of our cells contains approximately 1700 mitochondria, with each mitochondrion packed with mtDNA containing about 37 genes, the inheritance pattern of these genes is exclusively maternal. This means that both sons and daughters inherit their mitochondrial DNA from their mothers, but only daughters will pass on their mtDNA to the next generation.
This unique pattern of inheritance contrasts with the sex-linked inheritance that typically refers to traits on the X chromosome, which can be inherited from both parents and affect males and females differently.