mitochondrial

What it means

1. biologyOf, or relating to mitochondria.

   Sperm pass on none of their mitochondria during conception, so all mitochondrial information is transferred from generation to generation through mothers alone.

   2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 329

   1 more example

   A coenzyme that exists in all living cells, NAD+ plays a central role in the body’s biological processes, such as regulating cellular energy, increasing insulin sensitivity and reversing mitochondrial dysfunction.

   2022 June 2, Sandee LaMotte, “The ‘Benjamin Button’ effect: Scientists can reverse aging in mice. The goal is to do the same for humans”, in CNN

In a sentence

Sperm pass on none of their mitochondria during conception, so all mitochondrial information is transferred from generation to generation through mothers alone.

2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 329

Where it comes from

1. Englishmitochondrion
2. Englishmitochondria
3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
4. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
5. Englishmitochondrial

From mitochondria + -al.