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Are mutations always bad for an organism?
Mutations are changes in an organism's DNA that can be harmful, beneficial, or have no effect at all. While some mutations can be harmful and lead to diseases or disorders, others can be beneficial and provide an advantage in certain environments. So, mutations are not always bad for an organism.
Explain how mutations can lead to evolution?
Mutations introduce new genetic variations into a population. Some mutations may provide individuals with advantageous traits that help them survive and reproduce better than others. Over time, these advantageous mutations can become more common in a population, leading to evolutionary changes.
Do all mutations result in malfunctioning proteins?
No (contrary to previous answer to this question) single base pair mutations, which swap out 1 base for another, say from an A to a G can be a "silent mutation" This means that the 3base "codon" that codes for an amino acid will still code for the same AA. AA's have about 3 different codons that will code for it, usually with the difference being in the last base pair. So for examples lets say AAC and AAT both code for Amino acid X, and the mutation causes the C in sequence AAC to change to a T it becomes AAT, and will still code for amino acid X.... no change in protein structure or function.
What are the inheritable changes in DNA?
Changes in DNA are called mutations. DNA is inherited from the parents. If a mutation occurs in the gametes then those changes are passed on to the offspring. Mutations occur naturally, some are minuscule, some are harmful and die out, others are either beneficial or harmless and are passed on. In humans, red hair is thought to be a benign mutation. It is not selected for by evolutionary pressures, unlike white skin which is thought to be selected for in climates without enough sun. The white skinned people were able to absorb more sunlight and make vitamin D.
Why can some gene mutatuions be harmful while others have no effect?
Let's consider a simple example: protein-coding genes. Mutations, or changes in the DNA sequence of the gene, can alter the amino acid sequence of the protein it codes for, if the new sequence translates into different amino acids. Because the genetic code is degenerate, some amino acids are specified by multiple codons, so some mutations may not alter the amino acid sequence at all. Such mutations, called synonymousmutations, have no affect on the protein. Mutations that alter the amino-acid sequence of the protein, called non-synonymousmutations, may or may not have an affect. Most proteins can tolerate some changes to that sequence and not be significantly affected, but if the sequence change is large enough, or occurs at a critical point so that the structure of the protein is significantly altered, then the protein may become non-functional. If that protein is essential to an organism, such a mutation may be lethal.
Are mutations always bad for an organism?
Mutations are changes in an organism's DNA that can be harmful, beneficial, or have no effect at all. While some mutations can be harmful and lead to diseases or disorders, others can be beneficial and provide an advantage in certain environments. So, mutations are not always bad for an organism.
Why do some kind of point changes cause greater changes in proteins than others?
Because not every point mutation changes the protein. If it doesn't change, we call it a silent mutation or when one letter is deleted at the beginning, than the whole chain changes, but if it's at the end only the and changes so it's a bigger effect on the protein :p
Explain how mutations can lead to evolution?
Mutations introduce new genetic variations into a population. Some mutations may provide individuals with advantageous traits that help them survive and reproduce better than others. Over time, these advantageous mutations can become more common in a population, leading to evolutionary changes.
Are viruses less harmful after mutations occur?
Not necessarily; mutations in viruses can lead to changes in their virulence. While some mutations may result in a less harmful strain, others can increase a virus's ability to spread or evade the immune system, potentially making it more dangerous. The impact of mutations varies widely depending on the specific virus and the nature of the changes. Overall, each mutation must be evaluated individually to determine its effects on harmfulness.
What is antigenic drift?
The genome of viruses can mutate over time through a variety of mechanisms. Some viruses are more prone to these mutations than others. When the genome changes, this changes the proteins that are expressed by the virus, included the proteins that are present on the surface of the virus. These proteins are the antigens that are recognised by the host immune system and which trigger the immune response. Antigenic drift is when the genome of the virus mutates thus changing the antigens expressed by the virus. This means that an individual immunized against a virus may not be protected if the virus undergoes antigenic drift as the proteins present of the surface of the virus are not the same as the virus against which the individual was immunized.
When a change in DNA causes to be read incorrectly its called a?
When a change in DNA causes it to be read incorrectly, it is called a mutation. Mutations can lead to alterations in the amino acid sequence of proteins, potentially resulting in changes to their function or stability. They can occur due to various factors, including environmental influences or errors during DNA replication. Some mutations may have no effect, while others can lead to diseases or advantageous traits.
Why are some point mutations worse than others?
Some point mutations are worse than others because they can lead to significant changes in the protein's structure and function. For example, a missense mutation may change a single amino acid, potentially disrupting the protein's active site or stability, whereas a silent mutation does not alter the amino acid sequence at all. Additionally, nonsense mutations introduce premature stop codons, resulting in truncated proteins that can be nonfunctional. The impact of a mutation often depends on the specific gene affected and the role of the altered protein in cellular processes.
What are exactly the little changes within a DNA?
Little changes within DNA, known as mutations, can occur in various forms, including substitutions, insertions, or deletions of nucleotide bases. These alterations can affect a single nucleotide (point mutations) or larger segments of DNA. While some mutations have no effect on an organism's traits, others can lead to significant changes, potentially causing diseases or contributing to evolutionary adaptations. These changes can arise from various sources, including errors during DNA replication, environmental factors, or chemical exposure.
Do all mutations result in malfunctioning proteins?
No (contrary to previous answer to this question) single base pair mutations, which swap out 1 base for another, say from an A to a G can be a "silent mutation" This means that the 3base "codon" that codes for an amino acid will still code for the same AA. AA's have about 3 different codons that will code for it, usually with the difference being in the last base pair. So for examples lets say AAC and AAT both code for Amino acid X, and the mutation causes the C in sequence AAC to change to a T it becomes AAT, and will still code for amino acid X.... no change in protein structure or function.
How may some mutations be fatal?
Some can be lethal if the proteins these codes make end without being finished. Some lead to the death of an organism even before birth, others in childhood or later. An example is Huntington's Disease.
Why are most mutations harmful?
Changes to DNA (mutation) are not necessarily harmful. Species are essentially a conglomeration of mutations which result a vast array of beneficial characteristics. Detrimental mutations generally result in death during early pregnancy, others may predispose an individual to death by cancer or disease at an early age and still others have a dramatic effect on the life of the affected individuals. Breeds of domestic animals are great examples of how many mutations there are within a species that are not specifically harmful. (There are over 500 breeds of dog for example.)
What affect can mutations have on a virus?
Mutations in a virus can lead to changes in its behavior, including alterations in transmissibility, virulence, and resistance to treatments or vaccines. Some mutations may enhance the virus's ability to infect hosts or evade the immune system, while others could diminish its infectivity or lead to less severe disease. In some cases, beneficial mutations can drive the emergence of new variants, impacting public health responses and control measures. Overall, the effects of mutations can significantly influence the course of viral outbreaks.
