Every mitochondrion within a single cell contains identical DNA
the verdict
REFUTED
the evidence says no
confidence 9/100
The claim that every mitochondrion within a cell contains identical DNA is refuted by the well-documented phenomenon of heteroplasmy, in which multiple variants of mitochondrial DNA coexist within individual cells and organelles.
Evidence against · 5
Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy Among Hairs from Single Individuals
2004 · cited by 26
Demonstrates mitochondrial DNA sequence heteroplasmy (coexistence of different mtDNA variants) within single individuals and samples, contradicting the idea of complete uniformity.
See more details
More against · 4
Common Principles Underlie Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy Dynamics in the Germline and Soma.
2026 · cited by 0
Defines heteroplasmy directly as the mixture of mutant and wild-type mitochondrial DNA within each cell, directly refuting the claim that all mitochondria contain identical DNA.
Single-cell multi-omic analysis of mitochondrial mutational mosaicism and dynamics.
2026 · cited by 0
Shows that individual cells exhibit complex mutational landscapes and somatic mosaicism regarding mitochondrial DNA.
Expanding the landscape of tRNA pathogenic variants in mitochondrial DNA.
2026 · cited by 0
Quantifies heteroplasmy at the single-fibre level, confirming the coexistence of different mitochondrial genomes within individual cells.
MitoPerturb-Seq identifies gene-specific single-cell responses to mitochondrial DNA depletion and heteroplasmy.
2026 · cited by 0
Discusses heteroplasmy and the presence of multiple different mitochondrial DNA variants within individual cells under strict nuclear control.