[OLD] meiosis and mutation Flashcards
meiosis ???
duplicates
crossing over
move apart to separate cells
each cell moves apart to separate cells
what is a mutation?
a change in the nucleotide (DNA) base sequence
what is a base substitution?
the replacement of one nucleotide with another containing a different base
what do many mutations affect?
tertiary shape of a protein molecule so that it cannot function properly
why might a mutation have no effect?
it occurs in a non-coding region of the DNA
a different codon may produce the same amino acid (degenerate)
the altered amino acid may not affect the protein’s shape of function
how do mutations arise?
Spontaneously through DNA replication when a cell divides by mitosis or meiosis.
By mutagenic agents.
what is a mutagen?
anything which causes a mutation
what can a mutagenic agent do?
increase the rate of gene mutation
in higher organisms, mutagens are often what?
carcinogenic
