Mutations: Causes, Types, and Effects, Slides of Biology

Download Mutations: Causes, Types, and Effects and more Slides Biology in PDF only on Docsity! Cause and effect of mutation Docsity.com What causes mutation • Spontaneous • Increases caused by environmental factors • UV light • X-rays • Benzene, formaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride Docsity.com Mutagens and their effects • Viruses and microorganisms – integrate into human chromosome, upset genes and can trigger cancer Docsity.com Mutagens and their effects • Environmental poisons – Organic solvents such as formaldehyde, tobacco, coal tars, benzene, asbestos, some dyes Docsity.com Mutagens and their effects • Alcohol and diet – High alcohol intake increase the risk of some cancers. Diet high in fat and those containing burned or highly preserved meat Docsity.com Beneficial mutations • Bacteria – antibiotic resistance through mutation, transfer between bacterial species • Superbugs such as MRSA have arisen this way • RNA viruses – such as HIV – mutates it’s protein coat so that the host human is unable to make antibodies quick enough against it Docsity.com Neutral mutations • Neither harmful or beneficial to the organism but may be important in an evolutionary sense • Silent mutations • Virtually impossible to detect because no observable effect Docsity.com