Which of the following observations would lead a geneticist to suspect that an inherited disorder of cell metabolism is due to a defective mitochondrial gene?

The genetic disease may be defined as the disease that can be pass down from the parents to their progeny. Different types of inherited disease are cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.

The defect in the mitochondrial gene can also be transfer from one generation to the next generation. In this case the disease is transfer from the mother to their offspring as the mitochondria of the mother only can be transmitted to the offspring. The trait cannot be passed by the fathers.