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Science and technology
What is mutation?
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1 Reply
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Mutation, AN alteration within the genetic material (the genome) of a cell of a living organism or of an endemic that’s a lot of or less permanent which will be transmitted to the cell’s or the virus’s descendants. (The genomes of organisms area unit all composed of polymer, whereas microorganism genomes will be of polymer or RNA; see heredity: The physical basis of heredity.) Mutation within the polymer of a body cell of a cellular organism (somatic mutation) is also transmitted to descendant cells by polymer replication and therefore lead to a sector or patch of cells having abnormal perform, AN example being cancer. Mutations in egg or spermatozoan cells (germinal mutations) might lead to a personal offspring all of whose cells carry the mutation, which frequently confers some serious malfunction, as within the case of a person’s inherited disease like CF. Mutations result either from accidents throughout the traditional chemical transactions of polymer, usually throughout replication, or from exposure to high-energy electromagnetic wave (e.g., actinic radiation or X-rays) or particle radiation or to extremely reactive chemicals within the surroundings. as a result of mutations area unit random changes, they’re expected to be principally harmful, however some is also helpful in bound environments. In general, mutation is that the main supply of genetic variation, that is that the staple for evolution by natural process.
