Mitochondria have long been known to be the powerhouses of the cell but they also
contribute to redox and Ca 2+ homeostasis, provide intermediary metabolites and store
proapoptotic factors. Mitochondria have a unique behavior during development. They are
maternally transmitted with little (if any) paternal contribution, and they originate from a
restricted founder population, which is amplified during oogenesis. Then, having established
the full complement of mitochondria in the fully grown oocyte, there is no further increase of …