How is mitochondrial DNA inherited?

Mitochondrial DNA is inherited exclusively from the maternal side. This is because mitochondria, the organelles responsible for energy production in cells, come from the mother's egg. As Andrew Huberman discusses, while mitochondria themselves have their own specific set of genes, many necessary proteins are encoded by nuclear DNA, which is inherited from both parents. Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction or diseases can sometimes be inherited from either parent due to defects in nuclear genes that code for mitochondrial proteins 1.