Question

. Consider the following scenarios. State whether the mutation is likely to be passed on to the offspring of the organism. Explain your reasoning. a. A single bacteria cell contains a positive mutation in its DNA. b. A skin cell on a cat contains a positive mutation in its DNA.

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is "option a. it is likely it will pass to the offspring; option b. it is not very likely that it will pass to the offspring".

Explanation:

In order that a mutation could be passed to the offspring it is necessary that the affected DNA can be transmitted to the following generation. A single bacteria that contains a positive mutation in its DNA is likely to pass its mutation to the offspring since it multiples by binary fission. On the other hand, a skin cell most likely will not pass its mutation to the offspring since a skin cell is not involved in the organism reproduction, such as a sexual cell.