Question

Mutations may be detrimental, beneficial, or neutral to the cell or organism in which they occur. True or False?

Answer 1

Answer:

True

Explanation:

Our genetic material (DNA) is made up of sequences of nucleotides. These nucleotide sequences undergo changes from time to time either naturally or induced by mutagens (mutation-causing components). These changes that occur are called MUTATIONS, and they produce varying effects on the organisms's they occur in.

A mutation may affect a single nucleotide (point mutation). This can lead to three kind of effects, one in which has no effect on the sequence and subsequently on the organism. This is possible due to the degenerate nature of the genetic code, as more than one codon specifies a particular amino acid. The change can occur in such a way that the codon that arises codes for the same amino acid as the original codon. This is called a SILENT mutation and in this case, there is no effect on the organisms.

In another case, the mutation can change the amino acid sequence entirely leading to the formation of a different non-functional polypeptide. This could be very lethal as a deficiency of the original polypeptide could cause serious harmful effects to the affected organism. This is called MISSENSE mutation.

Also, the mutation can add or insert nucleotide(s) to the sequence in such a way that it produces a protein that is beneficial to the organism. An example is the antibiotic resistance that mutation confers upon certain bacteria species.