Question

New sequencing techniques reveal that a child is heterozygous for a new mutation. this mutation appears in all of the cells tested from a variety of tissues (including skin, blood, and hair). the mutation is not found in similar tissues in either the mother or the father. most likely, this is a new _______ mutation that occurred in _______.

Answer 1

The new mutation is not found in either the mother or the father. Most likely, this is a new somatic mutation that occurred in the child. Somatic mutation is a genetic alteration acquired by a cell that can be passed to the progeny of the mutated cell in the course of cell division.