MUTATIONS

MUTATION - a sudden heritable change in genetic material or the characters in an organism.

MUTANTS - organism that carries mutation.

MUTAGENS - factors/agents that cause MUTATION (such as radiation, chemicals, cigarettes, etc.)

VARIANT - individual showing an altered phenotype/phenotypic.

Gene Mutation - a mutation that causes changes in the base sequence of the genes.

Its other term is also Point Mutation

HISTORY OF MUTATION

Mutation - comes from a latin word “mutare” (to change).

It was coined by scientist Hugo de Vries in 1890 from Gregor Mendel’s studies in Pea Plant Mutation/Genes

Morgan studied the mechanisms of Mutations back in 1910.

Muller performed experiments back in 1927 such as the artificial mutagenesis and was awarded in 1946 for winning a Nobel Prize.

Seth Wright, an English farmer recorded the case of mutation back in 1791 with the distortion leg form of a male lamb (short) compared to the female lamb’s legs (long).

CHARACTERISTICS OF MUTATION

1.) Most mutations have harmful effects but some are beneficial.

2.) Spontaneous mutations occurs at a very low rate. (Chances)

3.) Generally, mutant alleles are recessive to their wild type or normal alleles.

4.) Some genes show high rate of mutations, which are called, MUTABLE GENES.

5.) Highly neutable site within a gene is called ‘hot spots’.

6.) MUTATION can occur in any tissue or cell.

CLASSIFICATION OF MUTATIONS

1.) Based on the survival of an individual

It involves Lethal mutation, Sub Lethal mutation, Sub Vital mutation and Super Vital mutation.

  • Lethal mutation - death.

  • Sub Lethal - 90% chance of survival (still possibly/mostly death).

  • Sub Vital - Don’t affect survival of an individual.

  • Super Vital - Enhances survival of an individual.

2.) Based on the causes of mutation

It involves Spontaneous and Induce mutation

  • Spontaneous mutation = occurs naturally from genes (ex. UV Light and Radiation)

  • Induce mutation = produced due to the treatment of other chemically physical treatment. (X-ray and other tech based doctor tools)

3.) Based on the tissue of origin

It involves Somatic and Germinal mutation

  • Somatic cells (body cells) = produce asexually or sexually. It transmits progenie to the next progenie.

  • Germinal mutation (reproductive cells) = produce sexually. It transmits to the next generation.

4.) Based on the direction of mutation

It involves Forward and Reverse

  • Forward = goes from Normal to Mutant (direction)

  • Reverse = Mutant to Normal (direction)

5.) Based on the type of trait affected

It involves Visible and Biochemical

  • Visible = Affects on phenotypic character from observable study.

  • Biochemical = Affects production of Biochemicals (their unique Gestures, Mannerisms)