[Nesti (Mark)]

I just learned something significant the other day (slow-poke LOL), that Mitochondria are not reproduced by cellular DNA...they are handed down from the mother (female egg linage); the Mitochondria in the male sperm are discarded.

For me, this suggests that way-back in history, two, perhaps even a few, cell types got together as a cooperative synergy (like bacteria in the gut) to gain an environmental advantage. This might have occurred before DNA itself even evolved...perhaps the structure and function of DNA could only have evolved because of the Mitochondria cooperative.

This also says to me that Mitochondria have evolved via proxy and not by direct influence and contact to the external environment. Kind of like 'The Dead Sea Scrolls' of the evolution of organic life.

I don't know why I didn't know this earlier, because that's pretty impressive!