biology 207

    Master this deck with 30 terms through effective study methods.

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    Created by @lilymierzejewski

    What is mutation?

    Heritable alteration in DNA sequence.

    What defines a mutant?

    An organism with a mutation affecting its phenotype.

    What are the effects of mutations?

    They can be advantageous, deleterious, or neutral.

    How do spontaneous mutations differ from induced mutations?

    Spontaneous occur naturally; induced are caused by external factors.

    What distinguishes somatic mutations from germline mutations?

    Somatic mutations affect non-reproductive cells; germline affect reproductive cells.

    What is a gene?

    A segment of DNA that encodes a protein or RNA.

    What is an allele?

    Different versions of a gene.

    What is a heterozygote?

    An organism with two different alleles for a gene.

    What is a homozygote?

    An organism with two identical alleles for a gene.

    What are the basic components of a gene?

    Promoter, coding region, and terminator.

    What is the Central Dogma?

    The flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

    How do mutations affect coding regions?

    They can alter protein function or expression.

    What happens if a repair process fails?

    It can lead to mutations and genetic diversity.

    Why are mutations important for evolution?

    They generate genetic diversity necessary for natural selection.

    What defines a mutation?

    It can lead to genetic diversity.

    What is a point mutation?

    It affects a single base pair or a few adjacent pairs.

    How do spontaneous mutations differ from induced mutations?

    Spontaneous mutations occur naturally, while induced mutations are caused by mutagens.

    What are somatic mutations?

    They occur in non-reproductive cells and are not inherited.

    What are germline mutations?

    They occur in reproductive cells and can be passed to offspring.

    What is an allele?

    It represents different versions of a gene.

    What distinguishes a heterozygote from a homozygote?

    Heterozygotes have two different alleles, while homozygotes have identical alleles.

    What is the Central Dogma of molecular biology?

    It describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

    What happens if a mutation occurs in a coding region?

    It can alter the protein produced by the gene.

    What are the two types of point mutations?

    Substitutions and insertions/deletions.

    How do transitions differ from transversions?

    Transitions are purine to purine or pyrimidine to pyrimidine changes; transversions are purine to pyrimidine or vice versa.

    What role do mutagens play in mutations?

    They increase the rate of mutations beyond spontaneous levels.

    What is the mutation frequency of spontaneous mutations in E. coli?

    Approximately 10 x 10^-8 per base pair per cell division.

    What is the mutation frequency of induced mutations in E. coli?

    Approximately 150 x 10^-8 per base pair per cell division.

    What is a mutant?

    An organism or cell with a mutation.

    What is the consequence of a failure in DNA repair processes?

    It can lead to an increased rate of mutations.