Difference between revisions of "Mutations"

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*Date: [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Century 14th century]
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*Date: [https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Century 14th century]
 
==Definitions==
 
==Definitions==
 
*1 : a significant and basic alteration : [[change]]
 
*1 : a significant and basic alteration : [[change]]
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:b : an [[individual]], strain, or trait resulting from mutation
 
:b : an [[individual]], strain, or trait resulting from mutation
 
==Description==
 
==Description==
'''Mutations''' are changes in the [[DNA]] [[sequence]] of a [[cell]]'s genome and are caused by [[radiation]], [[virus]]es, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposon transposons] and mutagenic [[chemicals]], as well as errors that occur during [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiosis meiosis] or DNA replication. They can also be induced by the [[organism]] itself, by cellular processes such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_hypermutation hypermutation].
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'''Mutations''' are changes in the [[DNA]] [[sequence]] of a [[cell]]'s genome and are caused by [[radiation]], [[virus]]es, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposon transposons] and mutagenic [[chemicals]], as well as errors that occur during [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiosis meiosis] or DNA replication. They can also be induced by the [[organism]] itself, by cellular processes such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_hypermutation hypermutation].
  
Mutation can result in several [[different]] types of [[change]] in [[DNA]] sequences; these can either have no [[effect]], alter the product of a gene, or prevent the gene from [[functioning]] properly or completely. Studies in the fly [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosophila_melanogaster Drosophila melanogaster] suggest that if a mutation changes a [[protein]] produced by a gene, this will probably be harmful, with about 70 percent of these mutations having damaging [[effects]], and the remainder being either neutral or weakly beneficial. Due to the damaging effects that mutations can have on [[cells]], [[organisms]] have evolved [[mechanisms]] such as DNA repair to remove mutations. Therefore, the optimal mutation [[rate]] for a [[species]] is a trade-off between costs of a high mutation rate, such as deleterious mutations, and the [[metabolic]] costs of maintaining systems to reduce the mutation rate, such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_repair DNA repair] enzymes. [[Viruses]] that use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA RNA] as their genetic material have rapid mutation rates, which can be an advantage since these [[viruses]] will evolve constantly and rapidly, and thus evade the defensive [[responses]] of e.g. the [[human]] [[immune]] system.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutation]
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Mutation can result in several [[different]] types of [[change]] in [[DNA]] sequences; these can either have no [[effect]], alter the product of a gene, or prevent the gene from [[functioning]] properly or completely. Studies in the fly [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosophila_melanogaster Drosophila melanogaster] suggest that if a mutation changes a [[protein]] produced by a gene, this will probably be harmful, with about 70 percent of these mutations having damaging [[effects]], and the remainder being either neutral or weakly beneficial. Due to the damaging effects that mutations can have on [[cells]], [[organisms]] have evolved [[mechanisms]] such as DNA repair to remove mutations. Therefore, the optimal mutation [[rate]] for a [[species]] is a trade-off between costs of a high mutation rate, such as deleterious mutations, and the [[metabolic]] costs of maintaining systems to reduce the mutation rate, such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_repair DNA repair] enzymes. [[Viruses]] that use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA RNA] as their genetic material have rapid mutation rates, which can be an advantage since these [[viruses]] will evolve constantly and rapidly, and thus evade the defensive [[responses]] of e.g. the [[human]] [[immune]] system.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutation]
  
 
[[Category: Biology]]
 
[[Category: Biology]]

Latest revision as of 01:27, 13 December 2020

Lighterstill.jpg

Lung-cancer-cells.jpg

Definitions

b : an individual, strain, or trait resulting from mutation

Description

Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence of a cell's genome and are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic chemicals, as well as errors that occur during meiosis or DNA replication. They can also be induced by the organism itself, by cellular processes such as hypermutation.

Mutation can result in several different types of change in DNA sequences; these can either have no effect, alter the product of a gene, or prevent the gene from functioning properly or completely. Studies in the fly Drosophila melanogaster suggest that if a mutation changes a protein produced by a gene, this will probably be harmful, with about 70 percent of these mutations having damaging effects, and the remainder being either neutral or weakly beneficial. Due to the damaging effects that mutations can have on cells, organisms have evolved mechanisms such as DNA repair to remove mutations. Therefore, the optimal mutation rate for a species is a trade-off between costs of a high mutation rate, such as deleterious mutations, and the metabolic costs of maintaining systems to reduce the mutation rate, such as DNA repair enzymes. Viruses that use RNA as their genetic material have rapid mutation rates, which can be an advantage since these viruses will evolve constantly and rapidly, and thus evade the defensive responses of e.g. the human immune system.[1]