mutations Flashcards
what are mutations?
- permanent structural alternation in DNA
what are somatic mutations?
- a change that occurs in body cells other than egg or sperm
- cannot be passed to offspring
what are germline mutations?
- change in the egg or sperm
- can be passed
what is the location of mutations?
determines if it passed on or not
- somatic = body cells affected > not inherited
- germline = gametes affected > can be inherited
what factors affect the outcome of a mutation?
- type of cell (somatic or germline)
- type of mutation (substitution, insertion)
- exert of the mutation (point, non-disjunction)
- area of gene affected (coding or non-coding)
describe harmful mutations and what are some examples?
may reduce survival capacity
- down syndrome
- cancer
- cystic fibrosis
- sickle cell anaemia
describe neutral mutations and what are some examples?
have no observable effect on the organism
- heterochromia = different colored eyes in the same person
- free ear love attachment
describe beneficial mutations and what are some examples?
helpful to an organism’s survival
- tolerance to high cholesterol
- lack of wisdom teeth trait
- HIV resistant
- sickle cell trait
what is a mutagen?
anything that causes a mutation
- physical = heat
- chemical
- pathogens = viruses
- radiation
what effect do mutations have on genetic variation?
- increase variation
- introduce new alleles to the population
what are induced mutations?
occur due to environmental factors
what are spontaneous mutations?
a result of errors during DNA repair or replication
what are the 3 types of mutations?
- gene/point
- chromosome/ point
- non-disjunction
