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In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism.
Jul 6, 2024 · mutation, an alteration in the genetic material (the genome) of a cell of a living organism or of a virus that is more or less permanent and that can be transmitted to the cell’s or the virus’s descendants.
- An individual offspring inherits mutations only when mutations are present in parental egg or sperm cells (germinal mutations). All of the offsprin...
- Mutations in DNA occur for different reasons. For example, environmental factors, such as exposure to ultraviolet radiation or certain chemicals, c...
- Mutation hotspots (or mutational hotspots) are segments of DNA that are especially prone to genetic alteration. The increased susceptibility of the...
In genetics, a mutation is a change in the genetic material - DNA sequence - of an organism. By extension, a mutant is the organism in which a mutation has occurred. But what is the change compared to? The answer to this question, is that it depends.
In genetics, a mutation is a change in the genetic material - DNA sequence - of an organism. By extension, a mutant is the organism in which a mutation has occurred. But what is the change compared to? The answer to this question, is that it depends.
We often refer to a mutation as a thing—the genetic variation itself. This approach can be useful when it comes to a gene associated with a disease: the disease allele carries a mutation, a DNA change that compromises the protein's function. However, this approach gives mutation a bad name.
An organism, gene, or chromosome that is different from the wild type due to mutation(s) is referred to as a mutant. Carrying the mutation, the organism could transmit the new trait across generations.
Mutations may or may not produce detectable changes in the observable characteristics ( phenotype) of an organism. Mutations play a part in both normal and abnormal biological processes including: evolution, cancer, and the development of the immune system, including junctional diversity.
