Mutations

Question 1

What is Random Assortment of Chromosomes?

Answer 1

Random assortment of chromosomes during meiosis results in games that have a huge number of possible combinations of the chromosomes that originally came from the male parent and female parent, a pair segregates (goes either north or south of the equator)

Question 2

What is Crossing Over of Chromatids?

Answer 2

Crossing over chromatids during meiosis may result in pieces of chromatids being broken off and attaching to a different chromatid, this results in a changed sequence, or recombination of the alleles along the resulting chromosome

Question 3

What is Non-Disjunction?

Answer 3

• One or more members of a chromosome pair fail to separate during meiosis
• This results in gametes that have more or less than the correct number of chromosomes
• If such gametes are involved in fertilisation, the resulting embryo will have the incorrect number of chromosomes. - - Conditions of fault include Monosomy & Trisomy

Question 4

What is variation?

Answer 4

The differences between members of a species

Question 5

What is Random Fertilisation?

Answer 5

• Random fertilisation means that because each person will produce a huge number of different sperm or eggs with respect to the alleles each contains
• Because any sperm can fertilise any egg there is almost an infinite number of possible combinations of allies in the offspring

Question 6

What are Mutations?

Answer 6

• Mutations are a change in a gene or chromosome which leads to new characteristics in an organism which can be beneficial or harmful
• If the mutation occurs in a gamete it can be passed on from generation to generation
• Mutations can be beneficial such as when they improve an organisms chance of surviving e.g. sickle cell anaemia

Question 7

What is a Mutant?

Answer 7

A mutant is an organism with a characteristic resulting from a mutation

Question 8

What is a Mutagen or Mutagenic agent?

Answer 8

• Environmental factors that increase the rate at which mutations occur agents
• e.g. mustard gas, sulphur dioxide, radiation (UV light, cosmic rays, radioactive waste)

Question 9

What are the two types of Mutations?

Answer 9

Somatic and Germile Mutations

Question 10

What are Somatic Mutations?

Answer 10

• DNA changes that take place in body cells
• These cannot be passed onto the offspring
• Only the individual with the somatic mutation is affected
• Each time the mutant body cell decides the mutation is passed onto the daughter cells
• The reproductive cells are not affected and once the individual dies the mutation is lost

Question 11

What are Germile or Germine Mutations?

Answer 11

• DNA change that occur in a sperm or ova
• These can be passed onto the offspring
• If the reproductive organs are affected the mutation can occur in the gametes and may then be passed onto the next subsequent generation
• The individual is not usually affected, but carries the gene, however that individual produces gametes with changed DNA

Question 12

What are Gene Mutations?

Answer 12

• Changes in a gene, occur during DNA replication (during interphase before cell division)
• This mutation will then be copied each time the new DNA is replicated therefore being passed onto further generations
• Include: Point mutations (Substitution, Insertion, Deletion)

Question 13

What are Point Mutations?

Answer 13

• A change of a single nucleotide, includes deletion, insertion or substitution of one nucleotide in a gene
• These can alter a protein or ,ay prevent the production of protein, or have no effect at all
• 1 abnormal protein can have an enormous effect on the body
• e.g. sickle cell anaemia is the result of one nucleotide substitution occurring in the haemoglobin gene

Question 14

What is deletion in gene mutations?

Answer 14

At least one base has been deleted, which will affect the result of the amino acid codon triplet

Question 15

What is substitution in gene mutations?

Answer 15

The exchange of one base for another

Question 16

What is Insertion in gene mutations?

Answer 16

An extra base has been added and affects the sequence

Question 17

What is Sickle Cell Anaemia?

Answer 17

• Results from a change in only 1 amino acid
• Suffers produce sickle shaped red blood cells, the which do not carry as much oxygen as normal red blood cells and they also stick together and block small blood vessels
• Has a heterozygous advantage as it provides resistance to Malaria and therefore it remains in the population as a selective advantage, as a result of natural selection where the environment is such that one genotype is favoured over another

Question 18

What are lethal recessive gene mutations?

Answer 18

• Most gene mutations produce a recessive allele because they prevent the gene from producing a protein that will be able to function in the body, therefore a person could have a lot of mutation in the genes and be unaware of them
• If a person reproduces with a partner who has the same recessive mutation the recessive condition could appear in their offspring
• Some recessive mutations are lethal if they are not masked by a dominant normal allele
• Lethal recessives cause the death of the embryo or foetus or early death of child e.g. Tay-Sachs Disease (TSD)

Question 19

What is Tay-Sachs Disease?

Answer 19

• Occurs in the Jewish Community (Ashkenazi jews)
• It is a lethal recessive disorder
• The disease results in poor lipid metabolism resulting from a missing enzyme, it is the accumulation of a fatty substance in the Nervous System
• A baby with two recessive alleles for TSD developed normal for the first few months, then develops mental and physical disability
• Death occurs at an early age

Question 20

What are Chromosomal Mutations?

Answer 20

• Occurs in part of a chromosome or all of a chromosome and affects several genes, often cause severe abnormalities that miscarriage often occurs
• Includes; deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation & Non-disjunction

Question 21

What is Trisomy?

Answer 21

• A chromosomal mutation of Non-Disjunction, a person will have an extra chromosome e.g. Down Syndrome on Chromosome 21, person will have 3 and Patau Syndrome on Chromosome 13, will have 3, may suffer from mental retardation, a small head, an extra finger

Question 22

What is Trisomy X?

Answer 22

• A person has an extra sex chromosome
• e.g. Klinefelter’s Syndrome (XXY) - a person has an extra X chromosome, person will be more feminine, a male will have small testes which do not produce sperm, breasts are enlarged and body hair is sparse, occasionally mental retardation occurs
• Jacobs Syndrome (XYY) a person has an extra Y chromosome and considered super male

Question 23

What is Partial Monosomy?

Answer 23

• A person will have partial deletion of a chromosome
  e. g. Cri-du-chat Syndrome - a person is missing a proportion of Chromosome 5, it is a rare genetic disorder, there is a problem with the larynx and nervous system, an infant will cry and sound just like meowing kitten

Question 24

What is deletion in chromosomal mutations?

Answer 24

Part of a chromosome is lost during DNA replication

Question 25

What is Inversion in chromosomal mutations?

Answer 25

Breaks occur in the chromosome and broken pieces join back in the wrong way around

Question 26

What is Translocation in chromosomal mutations?

Answer 26

Part of a chromosome breaks off and is rejoined to the wrong chromosome