IVE - Mutations

Question 1

Mutations happen spontaneously and are caused by…

Answer 1

a change in the DNA base sequence.

Question 2

What two things increase the risk of mutations?

Answer 2

1. carcinogens
2. radiation

Question 3

A significant mutation could have a dangerous knock on effect:

Answer 3

if the base sequence changes then the amino acid made changes then the protein made changes and can’t perform its function. For instance if the protein was an enzyme, its active site might change, and now it cannot catalyse the reaction.

Question 4

sometimes mutations aren’t dangerous since we have..

Answer 4

non-coding DNA segments that only impact genes rather than protein synthesis.

Question 5

What is a substitution mutation?

Answer 5

One of the bases is changed for another random base.

Question 6

What is an insertion mutation?

Answer 6

An extra base is inserted into the sequence.

Question 7

Why is an insertion mutation more dangerous than a substitution?

Answer 7

Because it causes each base after it to shift one along, creating brand new triplet codes and therefore brand new amino acids.

Question 8

What is a deletion mutation?

Answer 8

One of the bases is deleted - this has a similar effect to insertion mutations, since all of the bases shift and create new codons.