Mutations are changes in gentic material. Gene mutations result from changes in a single gene. Chromosomal mutations involve changes in whole choromosomes.
Vocabulary
mutation=> change in a DNA sequence that affects genetic information
point mutation=> mutation that affects a single nucleotide, usually by substituting one nucleotide for another.
frameshift mutation=> "mutation that shifts the "reading" frame of the genetic message by inserting or deleting a nucleotide.
polyploidy=> condition in which an organism has extra sets of chromosomes.
Facts about Mutations
Four types of chromosomal mutations are deletion, duplication, inversion, and translocation
Most mutations are neutral-they have little expression of genes or the function of the proteins for which they code
Mutations that have dramatic changes are harmful and cause many genetic disorders
Plant and animal breeders take advantage of beneficial mutations-polyploid plants are often larger
