Question

Which one of the following carries extra nuclear genetic material?

• A. Golgi apparatus
• B. Ribosomes
• C. Chromosome
• D. Plastids/Mitochondria

Answer 1

The correct option is D

Plastids/Mitochondria

The correct option is D.

Explanation of correct answer:

1. The transmission of genes, which takes place external to the nucleus is an extranuclear inheritance of cytoplasmic inheritance.
2. It is found in the majority of the eukaryotes and is generally known to take place in cytoplasmic organelles like chloroplasts and mitochondria.
3. Chloroplast is a plastid, that is, a subcellular organelle, which has evolved to do unique activities in the cells of plants like photosynthesis.
4. Photosynthesis is the process by which organisms like plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce their food, that is, they convert solar energy into usable chemical energy.
5. Chloroplast DNA is the extranuclear genetic material present within the chloroplasts of plant cells.
6. Mitochondria are the membrane-bound cell organelles, which produce the majority of the chemical energy required to power the biochemical reactions within a cell.
7. They are considered the powerhouse of the cells, the chemical energy produced is captivated in a small molecule known as ATP or adenine triphosphate.
8. The mitochondrial DNA is the extranuclear genetic material present within the mitochondria.

Explanation of incorrect options:

Option A:

1. The Golgi complex or Golgi apparatus works as a workshop in which the proteins and lipids obtained from the endoplasmic reticulum are further processed and organized for transport to their final destinations, that is, the plasma membrane, secretions, or lysosomes.
2. It is accountable for modifying, transporting, and packaging lipids and proteins into vesicles for delivery to targeted destinations. This does not comprise any extranuclear genetic material.

Option B:

1. An intercellular composition is formed of both protein and RNA (ribonucleic acid), and the location of the synthesis of proteins within the cell is ribosomes.
2. It is a complex molecular machine, which generates proteins from amino acids during a process known as translation or protein synthesis. It does not comprise any extranuclear genetic material.

Option C:

1. Within the nucleus of the cell, the molecule of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is packaged into thread0-like composition known as chromosomes.
2. It carries the DNA and transfers the genetic information from parents to offspring, it does not comprise any kind of extranuclear genetic material.

Final answer: Plastids/Mitochondria carry extranuclear genetic material.