True. Both mitochondria and chloroplasts possess their own DNA, which is distinct from the nuclear DNA found in the cell’s nucleus.
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell, generating energy through a process called cellular respiration. They contain their own circular DNA, similar to that of bacteria, which encodes some of the proteins needed for their function. This is believed to be a remnant of their evolutionary origin, as mitochondria are thought to have originated from free-living bacteria that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.
Chloroplasts, found in plant cells and some algae, are responsible for photosynthesis. Like mitochondria, chloroplasts also have their own circular DNA. This DNA encodes certain proteins necessary for photosynthesis and other chloroplast functions. The endosymbiotic theory suggests that chloroplasts also originated from once free-living bacteria that were engulfed by early eukaryotic cells.
In summary, both mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own DNA, which underscores their unique evolutionary history and functional independence within the cell.