0 votes
37 views
in Science by (390 points)
In multicellular organisms, mutations can be subdivided into germline mutations and?

1 Answer

0 votes
by (450 points)

somatic mutations

Once again, a mutation is the change in the DNA or RNA sequence. In multicellular organisms, mutations can be subdivided into germline mutations and somatic mutations. Germline mutations occur in the DNA of sex cells, or gametes, and are therefore potentially very serious. These mutations can be passed to the next generation. If the zygote contains the mutation, every cell in the resulting organism will have that mutation. If the mutation results in a disease phenotype, the mutation causes what is called a hereditary disease. Somatic mutations , which occur in somatic, or body, cells, cannot be passed to the next generation  offspring . Mutations present in a somatic cell of an organism will be present  by DNA replication and mitosis  in all descendants of that cell. If the mutation is present in a gene that is not used in that cell type, the mutation may have no effect. On the other hand, the mutation may lead to a serious medical condition such as cancer.

27.0k questions

26.9k answers

2 comments

3.9k users

Categories

Welcome to Sarvan Science Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...