Difference between revisions of "Mutation"
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==Key Stage 4== | ==Key Stage 4== | ||
===Meaning=== | ===Meaning=== | ||
| − | A [[mutation]] is a change to the [[DNA]] in a [[Cell (Biology)|cell]] which causes a new | + | A [[mutation]] is a change to the [[DNA]] in a [[Cell (Biology)|cell]] which causes a new variant of a [[gene]]. |
===About Mutations=== | ===About Mutations=== | ||
Revision as of 14:34, 3 April 2019
Key Stage 4
Meaning
A mutation is a change to the DNA in a cell which causes a new variant of a gene.
About Mutations
- Mutations occur randomly so they cannot be predicted.
- Most mutations are errors which occur during DNA replication in cell division. However, some can occur due to DNA becoming damaged by ionising radiation.
- Mutations affect gene expression. Since genes act as templates for building protein, if a gene has been altered by mutation the proteins will also be changed.
- Mutations lead to the proteins, coded for by a gene, to have a different shape and function. A mutation may cause the active site of an enzyme to change, leading to a substrate no longer fitting in the active site or, in rare cases, a different substrate fitting the active site.