In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements :
- 1.Passing on mitochondrial diseases from parent to child can be prevented by mitochondrial replacement therapy either before or after in vitro fertilization of egg.
- 2.A child inherits mitochondrial diseases entirely from mother and not from father.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: C. Statement 1 is correct: mitochondrial replacement therapy can be done before fertilisation (spindle transfer) or after (pronuclear transfer) during IVF. Statement 2 is correct: mitochondria come from the egg, so mitochondrial diseases pass only from the mother. So both.
Watch for: Students doubt the 'before or after' wording in statement 1, but both techniques exist.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because statement 2 is also correct.
- B. Wrong because statement 1 is also correct.
- D. Wrong because both statements are correct.
Source to check: UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), Mitochondrial donation; NIH MedlinePlus Genetics, mitochondrial DNA (maternal inheritance)
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.