7-Genetic Mutations

Genetic Mutation

A change in an organism resulting from a chemical change in the structure of a gene.

Mutagen

Any factor that can cause a mutation, such as dioxins, benzene, UV light, or cigarette smoke.

Genetic Mutation

A change in an organism resulting from a chemical change in the structure of a gene.

Mutagen

Any factor that can cause a mutation, such as dioxins, benzene, UV light, or cigarette smoke.

Gene Mutation

A type of mutation that affects only one gene.

Chromosomal Mutation

A mutation that affects many genes by impacting entire chromosomes or parts of chromosomes.

Point Mutation

A mutation that involves a single base change in the DNA sequence.

Frameshift Mutation

A mutation caused by the insertion or deletion of nucleotides not evenly divisible by three, disrupting the reading frame during protein synthesis.

Nonsense Mutation

A point mutation that causes a premature stop codon in the mRNA, resulting in early termination of the polypeptide chain.

Missense Mutation

A single nucleotide mutation that causes a change in an amino acid in the polypeptide chain.

Silent Mutation

A mutation that does not result in a change of the amino acid sequence of the protein.

Harmful Mutation

A mutation that frequently leads to harmful effects or diseases, such as Huntington’s disease or cystic fibrosis.

Beneficial Mutation

A rare mutation that may improve the protein function, potentially driving the evolution of species.

Sickle Cell Anemia

A genetic disorder caused by a single amino acid change in hemoglobin, leading to sickle-shaped red blood cells.

Chromosomal Deletion

A chromosomal mutation where a section of bases is deleted from the chromosome.

Chromosomal Duplication

A chromosomal mutation involving the duplication of a section of bases on the same chromosome.

Chromosomal Inversion

A chromosomal mutation where a sequence of bases has its order reversed.

Translocation

A chromosomal mutation where a sequence of bases is deleted from one chromosome and inserted into a different chromosome.

Nondisjunction

The failure of chromosomes to separate properly during meiosis, leading to genetic disorders.

Environmental Mutagen

Any agent within an environment that increases the chances of mutations in DNA, such as radiation or chemicals.

Ionizing Radiation

A type of radiation, such as X-rays or gamma rays, that can cause mutations.

Down Syndrome

A genetic disorder caused by nondisjunction of chromosome 21, leading to an extra chromosome.