Mutation and DNA Repair

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to mutations and DNA repair mechanisms as discussed in the lecture.

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence.

Somatic Cell Mutations

Mutations that occur in somatic cells and are not passed to offspring.

Germ Cells

Cells in gonads that produce gametes; mutations in these cells can be passed to offspring.

Point Mutation

A chemical change in just one base pair of a gene that can affect protein structure and function.

Substitution Mutation

A mutation that replaces one nucleotide and its partner with another pair of nucleotides.

Silent Mutation

A mutation that has no effect on the amino acid produced due to redundancy in the genetic code.

Missense Mutation

A mutation that still codes for an amino acid, but not necessarily the correct one.

Nonsense Mutation

A mutation that changes an amino acid codon into a stop codon, usually resulting in a nonfunctional protein.

Frameshift Mutation

A mutation that results from insertions or deletions, altering the reading frame of the gene.

DNA Polymerase

An enzyme responsible for DNA replication and error correction during replication.

Mutagenic Agents

Agents that cause mutations in DNA.

DNA Repair Mechanisms

Processes that correct damage or errors in the DNA strand before they can affect the organism.

Hypermethylation

A mechanism that differentiates between old and new DNA strands during repair.

Exonuclease Activity

The ability of DNA Polymerase III to remove mismatched nucleotides in the 3'-5' direction.