Final answer:
The genetic material in mitochondria and chloroplasts is inherited through extranuclear or cytoplasmic inheritance. This supports the endosymbiotic theory and is pivotal for studying evolutionary relationships due to the rapid mutation rate of mitochondrial DNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
The genetic material inherited in an organelle, such as a mitochondrion or a chloroplast, exhibits extranuclear inheritance. This type of inheritance is also referred to as cytoplasmic inheritance because these organelles reside in the cytoplasm.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the DNA in chloroplasts are examples of extrachromosomal DNA, which is separate from the nuclear genome. In eukaryotes, this extrachromosomal DNA includes the DNA found within organelles of prokaryotic origin, supporting the endosymbiotic theory.
The mitochondria and chloroplasts each maintain their own genomes that are inherited through the cytoplasm of the egg during fertilization, primarily from the mother. This inheritance pattern is distinct from inheritance of nuclear DNA, which comes from both parents. Furthermore, mitochondrial DNA mutates rapidly and is crucial for studying evolutionary relationships and genealogy.