Theme 4: DNA Replication and Mitosis - Module 4: DNA Mutations Flashcards
(89 cards)
understanding the process of gene expression enables us to further appreciate what?
how changes in the genetic information of a cell can affect protein structure and function
what can these changes in genetic information create?
devastating cellular consequences or beneficial adaptation
what are mutations responsible for?
the large array of genes and thus the genetic differences that can be found among different organisms
what are mutations considered the source of?
genetic variation
how can mutations be created?
- due to environmental facts
- arising due to spontaneous mutations
- errors during DNA replication
what do errors in DNA replication lead to? can this be corrected?
- changes at the nucleotide level
- can be corrected - but at times are not corrected
what happens if the error is not corrected?
incorrect nucleotide bases can be used as a template in the next round of replication
what does this result in?
the propagation of the mutation
what are the most common mutations to occur?
these spontaneous mutations
how do the spontaneous mutations occur?
randomly by chance without any cause
is a mutation common or rare for any given nucleotide?
rare
is there variability as to the likelihood that a new mutation will occur at a given nucleotide base pair in a single round of replication across different organisms?
yes
most multicellular animals have a low probability of incurring a new mutation at a particular nucleotide pair in a given round of DNA replication, however what tends to have a higher mutation rate?
viruses
which virus has the most probity out of all viruses?
RNA viruses
what is this due to?
the delicate nature of the RNA backbone of RNA viruses and retroviruses (being more prone to damage and breakage)
what is another reason?
no proofreading capability in RNA genomes
genetic information can be mutated in which cells?
somatic or germline cells
if a mutation occurs in the somatic cell of an individual what will that cell be?
progenitor of a population of identical daughter cells following cell division
what will the division of a cell with a new mutation lead to?
a patch or region of cells with this new mutation
what leads to a larger spread of the mutated somatic cell throughout the body of an organism?
the earlier the developmental cascade of the mutation in a somatic cell
when can the effect of a mutation be largely negligible?
if the mutation arises in a cell that is no longer dividing or is post-mitotic in the G0 cycle
can somatic cell mutations be inherited?
no
what mutations can be passed on to offspring?
germline mutations
why is this?
germ cells are the cells that come together to produce new offspring in sexually reproducing organisms