Whose discovery led to the idea that humans inherit mitochondrial DNA from their mother?

The principle of maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA emerged from mid-20th-century cell biology and later molecular studies. Because the egg contributes nearly all the cytoplasm and mitochondria to the embryo, while sperm mitochondria are typically destroyed after fertilization, human mtDNA is usually inherited from the mother. This made mitochondrial DNA a powerful tool for tracing maternal lineages and studying ancient populations. It is also medically important because mutations in mtDNA can cause inherited metabolic disorders.