Aside from the nucleus, where else can a small amount of DNA be found in a eukaryotic cell?
Question
Aside from the nucleus, where else can a small amount of DNA be found in a eukaryotic cell?
Solution
In a eukaryotic cell, a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria and chloroplasts.
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Mitochondria: These are often referred to as the "powerhouses" of the cell because they generate most of the cell's supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), used as a source of chemical energy. Mitochondria have their own small circular DNA, separate from the nuclear DNA.
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Chloroplasts: These are found in plant cells and some algae and are responsible for photosynthesis. Like mitochondria, chloroplasts also have their own DNA.
These organelles are thought to have originated from free-living bacteria that were engulfed by an ancestral eukaryotic cell, a theory known as endosymbiosis. This is why they have their own DNA separate from the nuclear DNA.
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