Use the following source to help you answer the following questions: http://jour
ID: 279922 • Letter: U
Question
Use the following source to help you answer the following questions: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0004838 (You should be able to access the entire article.)
5. Mitochondrial DNA testing was also done on both Nicholas II and Alix. Why was information from Alix’s, but not Nicholas’, mitochondrial DNA used to identify three females as belonging to Alix?
6. HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, provided mitochondrial DNA used to identify Alix and her three daughters.
Why was his mitochondrial DNA used?
7. Who was missing from the mass grave?
8. The Duke of Fife and Princess Xenia provided mitochondrial DNA used to identify Nicholas. One of these is a female and another is a male. Does that matter? What general statement can you make about their genetic
relationship to Nicholas.
9. What was discovered in the mitochondrial DNA of Nicholas that was not identified in either the Duke of Fife or Princess Xenia?
10. What is the term given to the existence of two (or more) genetically different mitochondria in the cell?
treatment for hemophilia?
Explanation / Answer
5. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited from mother, but not from the father. The fact that mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited is used to trace maternal lineage.
6. HRH Prince Philip and Alix all share the same maternal lineage, they are all descendants of Queen Victoria, and hence, all of them share the same mitochondrial DNA. Hence, his mitochondrial DNA is used to identify the daughters of Alix.
7. Two of the children of Nicholas II and Alexandra are missing; they are Alexei and one of his sisters Maria/Anastasia
8. It does not matter whether it is male or female, since both of them have the common ancestor, Louise of Hesse Castle. All of them share the mitochondrial DNA originated from Louise of Hesse Castle, and hence, have the same mitochondrial DNA.
9. Heteroplasmy was identified in the mtDNA of Nicholas.
10. Heteroplasmy