Mitochondrial DNA inaugural issue

Since their discovery as integral parts of eukaryotic cells, mitochondria have played a primary role in how scientists understand the organic world. These tiny entities are not only the “power houses” of the cell, but they have also been a “power player” in the human endeavor of biological study for several decades. Most of this prominence can be attributed to the genomes of these organelles. The small size of animal mitochondrial genomes (mt-genomes) and the compact nature of both plant and animal mt-genomes make them desirable subjects of study in the biological sciences. As if that was not enough, the “extra value added” quality of mt-genomes being easily manipulated experimentally also makes them excellent and highly desirable tools in the biological sciences.