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Imagine a very complicated piece of machinery, such as a computer, and imagine that you alter the internal circuitry purely at random; will the machine be likely to work better? The machine is intricately and meticulously designed to do what it does; almost any change you make would almost certainly interfere with that functioning. Biochemistry is quite similar. It has evolved over billions of years, it is enormously complex and intricate, and every aspect of it is interconnected with every other aspect in many different ways. A random change is very likely to make it worse. To put it another way, for every functional DNA arrangement, there are endless quadrillions of nonfunctional arrangements. Choosing one at random is like buying a lottery ticket; chances are your ticket is not going to win (sorry, folks).
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoMost mutations are NOT deleterious! ( this is a common creationist position ) Most mutations are neutral. They can be anything from a mutation in a non-coding section of DNA to a single nucleotide replacement that leads to coding for the same type of amino acid ( hydrophobic to hydrophobic ) that was replaced by the nucleotide replacement error.
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Are mutations in the DNA sequence gene transient changes?
Successful mutations will persist. Mutations usually occur during replication. Some mutations will flourish depending on environmental factors.
Two causes of mutation?
Two types of mutations are Point Mutations and the other is Frameshift Mutations. Piont mutations include; deletions, insertions, and substitutions. These mutations casue a slight change in the amino acid usually resulting in a change in one amino acid. The second type, frameshift mutations involve many changes and almost always results in many changes in the codons.
Although genetic mutations may occur spontaneously in organisms the incidence of such mutations may be increased by?
Radioactive substances in the environment
A characteristic of mutations is that they usually?
Mutations are random. They may be beneficial, detrimental, or have no effect at all.
What do gene mutations provide for a population?
A mutation is a change in the genetic code of one allele of your genetic code. ( rarely does mutation affect both alleles ) Most mutations are neutral, some are deleterious, but sometimes a mutation in the germ line can convey some slight advantage to progeny. An example of this is lactose tolerance in some peoples of the world.
Inbreeding can cause physical defects because are passed on to the next generation?
deterious recessive gene
Why do mutations that occur in the skin or nervous system tend to have little effect on the evolution of a species?
Most mutations that occur have a neutral effect, or none at all, so they would not affect evolution. Organisms with mutations that cause detrimental impact typically will not survive; therefore, they will not reproduce, and the mutation will not be passed on, so the species will not be affected overall. Beneficial mutations are typically the only mutations that will affect an organism's posterity and the evolution of its species, but good mutations are very rare. This is why most mutations have little effect on the evolution of a species.
Which mutation is the most dangerous?
There is no definite answer to this question many types of mutations can cause death and I'd say that's the most dangerous effect of a mutation. Large Scale mutations, like deletions or amplifications, usually cause the most damage because they effect whole chromosomes. Small Scale mutations are usually less dangerous because they only effect one gene. The worst small scale mutations are insertions and deletions because they change the reading frame. In my personal opinion, harmful mutations that occur in the tumor suppressor genes are the most dangerous because they are what prevent the mutations in cell from being duplicated and without them working a mutated cell can replicate uncontrollably.
What can cause changes in DNA sequences?
mutations
Are all mutations passed on to your children?
No, not all mutations are passed on to children. Mutations can occur in the DNA of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm) and if they are present in those cells, they can be passed on to the next generation. However, most mutations occur in non-reproductive cells and are not passed on to offspring.
Are most of the fruits and vegetables you get at a supermarket the product of accidental mutations?
Every life form is probably the product of accidental mutations! Nowadays mutations are not necessarily accidental--they are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Do most mutations occur when DNA is being replicated?
yes
What kinds of traits are produced by most mutations?
hair color
Why aren't somatic mutations passed on to the next generation?
most genes mutations are recessive, and since most organisms have two of every genes, the normal genes will dominate the recessive genes.
What is the significance of mutations to living things?
Many, if not most, mutations are neutral, meaning that they have little or no effect on the expression of genes or the function of the proteins for which they code.
How do genetic mutations influence biological diversity?
In most cases mutations increase genetic variation, but only if they propagate to later generations.
What is the most likely effect of an error during DNA translation?
The most likely effect of an error during DNA translation is a mutation. Some mutations are beneficial, some are deadly and some are what is called "nonsense" mutations. Nonsense mutations have no benefits nor do they have any "bad" consequences.
