Mitochondrial DNA testing
Mitochondrial DNA is a type of DNA found in the mitochondria of your cells. Mitochondria act like a digestive system that takes in nutrients from inside the cell, breaks them down, and creates energy for the cell. They are essentially the energy-producing “powerhouses” in human cells.
Mitochondrial DNA testing examines DNA inherited from the maternal side of the family by both boys and girls (but only passed on further through the female line). Results from the analysis of mtDNA testing allow the general relatedness of individuals to one another to be determined.
mtDNA tests examine sections of your maternal DNA and uses them to work out your haplogroup (see footnote) which can be ‘decoded’ to prove a connection to a branch of your family which shares a common surname.
However, it should be noted that mtDNA cannot be used to determine paternity.
Note: haplogroups are essentially groups of information markers that contain information that allow geneticists to trace your ethnic background.