What genetic information determines my maternal haplogroup?

To calculate your maternal haplogroup, the genetic information of the mitochondrial chromosome is analyzed. In all cells there are cell organelles, known as mitochondria, whose function is the production of cellular energy. They contain a small circular chromosome, called mitochondrial DNA, which is always inherited from the mother.

Maternal haplogroups differ from each other due to specific genetic polymorphisms. Over the thousands of years of mitochondrial DNA existence, mutations have arisen and accumulated through generations. By knowing when and where these mutations emerged, we can not only distinguish between maternal haplogroups, but also trace their journeys through history.