Define mutation

Recent Examples on the Web MRIs are the most sensitive option, but to get insurance companies to cover the cost, patients usually need to show additional risk factors, such as a genetic mutation or family history of breast cancer. — Aria Bendix, NBC News, 28 Jan. 2023 He was born with a genetic mutation leaving him unable to sense that sharp reminder of danger. — Karen Weintraub, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2022 Biotech companies like Genentech were also developing new drugs such as Herceptin, which targets a genetic mutation in the HER gene that causes various cancers, including stomach, esophageal, and breast, shutting the gene down. — David Ewing Duncan, Scientific American, 7 Dec. 2022 As with the largemouth Moore caught, its golden skin was produced by a rare genetic mutation that gives fish a yellow pigmentation, a condition called xanthism. — Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2023 But a chance genetic mutation, which likely happened thousands of years ago, has resulted in many cattle now producing mostly A1. — Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 2 Jan. 2023 The therapy is meant to restore eyesight in people with a specific genetic mutation that causes the retina to degrade over time. — WIRED, 5 Dec. 2022 Only about 50 other cases have been identified in the world, and only two with the exact genetic mutation found in Lucy’s DNA. — Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Nov. 2022 Occasionally, a genetic mutation can cause the crustaceans to turn blue. — Laura Schulte, Jo...

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What Are Mutations? The DNA sequence is specific to each organism. It can sometimes undergo changes in its base-pairs sequence. It is termed as a mutation. A mutation may lead to changes in proteins translated by the DNA. Usually, the cells can recognize any damage caused by mutation and repair it before it becomes permanent. A mutation is a sudden, heritable modification in an organism’s traits. The term “mutant” refers to a person who exhibits these heritable alterations. Mutations usually produce recessive genes. Point mutation Substitution During replication, one base is inserted incorrectly, replacing the pair at the appropriate location on the complementary strand. Sickle-cell anemia Insertion In replicating DNA, one or more additional nucleotides are added, frequently causing a frameshift. One form of beta-thalassemia Deletion During replication, one or more nucleotides may be “skipped” or removed, which usually causes a frameshift. Cystic fibrosis Chromosomal mutation Inversion The flipping and reinserting of a single chromosomal region. Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome Deletion When a chromosome segment is lost, all the genes in that segment are also gone. Cri du chat syndrome Duplication A chromosomal segment is repeated, increasing the concentration of the genes in that area. Some cancers Translocation A section of one chromosome is inappropriately joined to another chromosome. One form of leukemia Causes of Mutations The mutation leads to genetic variations among specie...

• Over a lifetime our • This results in changes in the • Mutations can occur during • Mutations can also occur as the result of exposure to environmental factors such as smoking, sunlight and radiation. • Often cells can recognise any potentially mutation-causing damage and repair it before it becomes a fixed mutation. • Mutations contribute to • Mutations can also be inherited, particularly if they have a positive effect. • For example, the disorder • However, mutation can also disrupt normal gene activity and cause diseases, like • An illustration to show an example of a DNA mutation. Image credit: Genome Research Limited

Unfortunately, Explore Evolution makes a confusing definition of "structural mutations" which significantly differs from normal scientific usage. Also, Explore Evolution remarkably fails to mention the major cause of mutations, errors in copying DNA. A straightforward definition of mutation can be found in any genetics or evolution textbook. For example, the recently published Evolution textbook by Nick Barton and colleagues explains: Mutation, formally defined as a heritable change in the genetic material (DNA or RNA) of an organism, is the ultimate source of all variation. Without mutation, there would be no evolution. Barton, et al., (2007) Evolution, p. 325 Unfortunately, Explore Evolution takes this straightforward concept and manages to make it incomprehensible: As we have seen, there are scientists who doubt that natural selection can produce major evolutionary change. Specifically, they question whether there is a source of new information that can produce new genetic traits the variations needed to produce lasting biological change. Defenders of the neo-Darwinian position dispute this critique by offering another argument for the creative power of natural selection. they say that the critics have underestimated the power of another type of variation, unknown in Darwin's time, called mutation. Explore Evolution, p. 98 Remarkably, Explore Evolution fails to mention that errors in copying DNA are a major source of mutations. Explore Evolution's definitions of mutatio...

Recent Examples on the Web Cancer starts with normal cells that transform through random mutations into rapidly reproducing cancerous cells. — Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 6 June 2023 More specifically, people with a family history of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes—which are important in suppressing tumors and curbing abnormal cell growth—are at higher risk for breast cancer. — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 2 June 2023 But as the virus encountered more people with antibodies from previous infections and vaccination, new variants emerged with extensive mutations in the ACE2-binding region, known as the receptor-binding domain (RBD). — Byrobert F. Service, science.org, 24 May 2023 The mutations are slow and somewhat unpredictable: One person might sprout feathers, observing over weeks as their arms develop into wings, while another grows scales and winds up slithering like a snake. — Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 May 2023 That prognosis, however, would receive some pushback after the Hollywood performer sought a second opinion from a physician who treated his kidney cancer with an approach that targeted a mutation common in lung cancer. — Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2023 To cause harm, the mutation must come from both parents. — Mark Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 11 May 2023 Doctors can now use genetic information to better diagnose diseases and debilitating conditions, such as linking a rare case of leg pain to a single mutation. — Jocelyn Solis...