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In the cell cycle we learned that during interphase, DNA is copied so that both cells get a complete set of DNA. Now that you've seen how DNA codes for specific traits, what happens when mistakes are made during that copying process?
In the cell cycle we learned that during interphase, DNA is copied so that both cells get a complete set of DNA. Now that you've seen how DNA codes for specific traits, what happens when mistakes are made during that copying process?
Mutations
Mutations
Point mutations in DNA can cause a random change (mutation) at a certain point that is:
Neutral (letters might change but they code for the same protein so no harm is done)
Harmful (causes the wrong protein to be built or no protein at all)
Beneficial (some changes can be helpful)
Mutations can happen naturally and are typically the result of random copying errors.
Mutations can also arise from external factors, such as radiation (sun, x-rays, etc...), exposure to chemical factors (smoking/tobacco products, harmful cleaning agents, etc...), or infectious agents (viruses/bacteria).
Types of DNA Point Mutations
Types of DNA Point Mutations
Substitution: One letter is switched for another
Substitution: One letter is switched for another
Sickle Cell Anemia is a disorder caused by a single DNA base change. This change causes red blood cells to be sickle shaped (like a crescent moon) instead of the normal rounded shape. This causes traffic jams in the blood vessels and can result in severe discomfort and sometimes death if left untreated.
Insertion: A letter or sequence of letters are inserted where they don't belong.
Insertion: A letter or sequence of letters are inserted where they don't belong.
Deletion: A letter or sequence of letters are removed.
Deletion: A letter or sequence of letters are removed.
Insertion and Deletion mutations are generally more damaging as they tend to mess up everything that comes after them. If you inserted a circle with a line (or extra red circle) into your second line of monster code, it would push everything down a spot and could essentially change all of the coded words that followed! The majority of these type of frame-shift mutations result in a non-functional protein.
The sentence examples below, show how each of these mutations can alter the reading of DNA. DNA is read 3 letters at a time which is why we used 3 letter words in this example.
The sentence examples below, show how each of these mutations can alter the reading of DNA. DNA is read 3 letters at a time which is why we used 3 letter words in this example.
Which mutations caused the most changes to the sentence?
Which mutations caused the most changes to the sentence?
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