This is due to the mechanics of fertilization and the sheer scale difference between gametes. While both the sperm and the egg contain mitochondria to power their functions, their roles during conception are very different.
The Sperm: Most of its mitochondria are located in the “midpiece” to power the tail (flagellum) for swimming. Upon entering the egg, the tail and midpiece are usually shed or flagged by the eggs cellular machinery for destruction (autophagy).
The Egg: The egg cell is massive compared to the sperm and contains hundreds of thousands of mitochondria.
Furthermore, even if a few paternal mitochondria were to enter the egg, they are vastly outnumbered by maternal ones. Because the zygotes cytoplasm is almost entirely derived from the egg, the mitochondrial genome remains a direct matrilineal line. This allows scientists to trace human ancestry back to a single “Mitochondrial Eve.”
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