"A mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA."
Changes in DNA sequence that can lead to new traits and drive evolution.
DNA mutations: The different types of mutations that can occur in DNA and their effects on the genetic code.
Gene expression: The process of turning genes on and off, which can be affected by mutations.
Natural selection: The process by which advantageous mutations are selected for and become more common in a population.
Genetic drift: The random fluctuations in allele frequencies in a population due to chance events.
Mutation rates: The frequency at which mutations occur in a given population or species.
Population genetics: The study of genetic variation and its distribution within populations.
Phylogenetics: The study of the evolutionary relationships between different species or populations.
Gene regulation: The mechanisms by which gene expression is controlled, including the role of mutations in this process.
Molecular evolution: The study of evolution at the molecular level, including the role of mutations in shaping the structure and function of genes and proteins.
Evolutionary ecology: The study of how ecological factors can influence the evolution of populations and species, including the role of mutations in adaptation to changing environments.
Genome evolution: The study of how genomes evolve over time, including the accumulation of mutations and their effects on gene function and organization.
Comparative genomics: The study of genome structure and function across different species or populations, and the insights it provides into the evolution of genes and genomes.
Mutation accumulation: The process by which mutations accumulate in populations over time, and the effects this can have on the evolution of fitness and adaptation.
Genetic variation: The diversity of genetic material within a population or species, which can be influenced by mutations and other evolutionary processes.
Evolutionary rates: The speed at which evolutionary changes occur, and the factors that influence them, including the role of mutations.
Point mutations: Changes that occur at a single base pair in DNA. They can be either substitution, insertion, or deletion mutations.
Frameshift mutations: Caused by indels (insertions or deletions) that change the reading frame of the codons in mRNA, leading to different amino acid sequences being translated.
Chromosomal mutations: Structural changes in the chromosome, including inversions, translocations, duplications, and deletions. These can lead to changes in the gene dosage, gene expression, or chromosome structure.
Transposable element insertions: Genomic sequences that can move from one location to another, either within or between DNA molecules. They can potentially cause harmful mutations if they land in a gene, promoter or regulatory region, or alter chromatin structure.
Copy number variations: Differences in the number of copies of genomic segments among individuals or populations, due to deletions, duplications, or insertions of DNA. They can affect gene expression through dosage effects or position effects.
Chromothripsis: A catastrophic event in which one or a few chromosomes undergo massive fragmentation and reassembling in a random and non-homologous way, leading to dramatic changes in the gene content and structure.
Mobile genetic element activity: The mobilization and activation of transposable elements or other mobile genetic elements, due to environmental stress, host factors, or stochastic events. This can lead to DNA damage, chromosomal instability, or altered gene expression.
Epigenetic mutations: Changes in the modification or maintenance of DNA and chromatin states, without altering the DNA sequence directly. Examples include DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. These can affect gene expression, chromatin structure, and genome stability.
Gene conversion: A process in which one allele of a gene is replaced by a homologous sequence from another allele or a different chromosome. This can lead to allelic diversity or homogenization, depending on the pattern and frequency of gene conversion events.
Nucleotide repeat expansions: Increases in the number of tandem repeats of a specific nucleotide sequence, usually in non-coding regions. These expansions can cause genetic disorders, alter gene expression, or affect chromatin structure.
"Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA."
"Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, mitosis, or meiosis."
"Mutations may undergo error-prone repair (especially microhomology-mediated end joining), cause an error during other forms of repair, or cause an error during replication (translesion synthesis) due to damage to DNA (such as pyrimidine dimers caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation)."
"Mutations may also result from insertion or deletion of segments of DNA due to mobile genetic elements."
"Mutations may or may not produce detectable changes in the observable characteristics (phenotype) of an organism."
"Mutations play a part in both normal and abnormal biological processes including: evolution, cancer, and the development of the immune system, including junctional diversity."
"Mutation is the ultimate source of all genetic variation, providing the raw material on which evolutionary forces such as natural selection can act."
"Mutations in genes can have no effect, alter the product of a gene, or prevent the gene from functioning properly or completely."
"If a mutation changes a protein produced by a gene, the result is likely to be harmful, with an estimated 70% of amino acid polymorphisms that have damaging effects, and the remainder being either neutral or marginally beneficial."
"Organisms have mechanisms such as DNA repair to prevent or correct mutations by reverting the mutated sequence back to its original state."