Genetic mutations are essential to evolution and help species develop new, useful characteristics and traits .............................................................................................. Because they can
Answer: Mutationare important because they were postulated as a possible source of genetic variation to ennable natural selection to have material to work changes in organisms. This mechanism of variation was seen as vital to evolution from the time that the implications of genetics as discovered by Mendel was realised.
Unfortunately for evolution, there has never been discovered a single example of a mutation adding new genetic information (although occasionally mutations are beneficial, which is not always the same thing). Richard Dawkins was asked about this very issue in an interview and could not provide one single example of an information-adding mutation. This is no small problem for their is a staggering amount of new information necessary to be written into the DNA to change a microbe into a microbiologist (for example).
Actually mutations are universally shown to be causing genetic degradation in all multicellular life, In humans this is believed conservatively to amount to 100 new mutations per person per generation. Mostly these mutations are small such that natural selection does not 'see' them to eliminate them and so they accumulate in the genome of mankind like rust on a car. The rate of mutation which we observe today would lead to the extinction of the entire human race in a much shorter period of time than is commonly realised. This knowledge led one evolutionary geneticist to ask 'why are we not all dead already?'
According to geneticist Dr John Sandford, from Cornell University, there is close to unanimous agreement among geneticists regarding human genetic degradation, even though most continue to believe in evolution. Sandford cites recent papers by geneticists such as Muller, Noal, Kondrashov, Nachmann/Crowell, Walker/Keightley, Crow, Lynch et al, Howell, Loewe and Sandford himself (in print). Sandford highlights Loewe's contention in a paper published in 2010 (in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science) that there is a fitness decline of between 3-5% per generation. Sandford himself from his modeling believes it is not as dire. Another geneticist, Robert Carter, points out that the key issue is not that there are no beneficial mutations but that the deleterious ones are so subtle that they are not selected against, and so the net effect is downhill.
mutations
Mutations serve up the variations in organisms to natural selection. The reproductively successful variations pass on these successful traits to progeny and allele frequencies change because of this and this is evolution.
Mutations that occur at random are called spontaneous mutations.
It is important that the DNA is copied exactly during replication because any errors in replication can cause mutations. For example, even one incorrect base can result in an enzyme becoming inactive. These mutations can be lethal or have severe consequences on the organism's health.
Mutations which are artifically induced with the help of mutagenic agents are called induced mutations
The mutations in frust flies are essential to ubderstanding many genetic questions
This ensures that the race as a whole retains the genetic mutations that are beneficial, and that the poor genetic mutations are gradually lessened.
mutations
Mutations are important for evolution because they provide the variability whereupon natural selection acts.true last answered by zaporia
the answer is mutations.......................
depends on what are you exposed to. Naturally, UV radiation does make mutations in the cells of your skin. Across the body, oxygen radicals make very significant amount of mutations; oxygen radicals are one of the important factors causing aging. Apart from this, chemical mutagens from the environment are important mutagens too. All of these cause mutations.
No not all mutations are bad there are good mutations and bad mutations
Mutations serve up the variations in organisms to natural selection. The reproductively successful variations pass on these successful traits to progeny and allele frequencies change because of this and this is evolution.
mutations
It is called mutations. I'm 100% sure.
Two are insertion mutations and deletion mutations.
Mutations that occur at a single point in the DNA sequence are Point Mutations.