The Human Egg Has About 2000 Mitochondrial Genomes, but Somatic

Multiple Choice

The human egg has about 2000 mitochondrial genomes, but somatic cells have a range of hundreds to thousands. Which of the following is most likely to account for the difference?

A) Heteroplastic cells can give rise to homoplastic cells.
B) Haploid organelle genomes can replicate to form diploid or polyploidy genomes.
C) Mutant mitochondria replicate at different frequencies than do wild type.
D) Large mitochondria in oocytes can divide into many smaller mitochondria, and smaller mitochondria can replicate their DNA.
E) Somatic cells replicate their nuclear DNA at a faster rate than the oocyte.