What is a mutation?

Adult education activity

http://technolog.it.umn.edu/technolog/issues/fall2004/genome.htm

Definition of a Mutation

• Any change in genetic material.

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What do we do if there is a change?

• Some changes are responsible for causing disease, but it is necessary to have some changes to have variation in the population

• Examples: flowers, kittens, finch beaks, noses and ears, and freckles

How does our genetic material change?

• Mutations may happen in big or little chunks through rearrangements, additions, or subtractions of material

How many genes do this?

• Any gene has the potential to mutate

• Can happen anywhere

• Only mutations that happen in the sperm or eggs may be passed on to your children

• Most mutations don’t change your body’s function, these are called silent mutations

What kinds of mutations are there?

• Point mutations – simplest change, one nucleotide is exchanged for another

• Mis-sense mutations – changes the triplet codon making a different amino acid appear

• Frameshift – one or two nucleotides are inserted or deleted which changes all codons beyond that point

• Nonsense – an early “stop” codon is made• Regulatory – change in a sequence important to

make proteins

Quiz Time!

Question 1

• A mutation may happen in any gene.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Question 1 Answer

• If you answered True then….you are CORRECT!

Question 2

1) Which of these is NOT a type of mutation.

a) Point mutation

b) Flyaway mutation

c) Frameshift mutation

d) Nonsense mutation

Question 2 Answer

• If you answered B….you are CORRECT!

What causes a mutation?

• Copy mistakes• Mutations are a natural part of the cellular process

reproduction. The cell has tools that catch and repair 99.9% of mutations.

• Other factors may cause extra mutations to occur or damage the “catch and repair” mechanism

• Some mutations are the second hit to a cell, for example freckles have a mutation already and another mutation makes the cell potentially cancerous

What are the other factors?

• These factors may include: radiation, chemical exposures, UV light (sunlight)

How do I stop this?

• We are all mutants. The best way to prevent excessive and dangerous mutations is to avoid prolonged UV light from the sun (use sunblock), avoid pesticides and other mutagens, and limit radiation levels to federally acceptable levels.

Quiz Time!

Question 1

1) Which of the following may cause

mutations?a) Coffee

b) UV light (sun light)

c) Hair gel

d) Vaccines

Question 1 Answer

If you answered B….you are CORRECT!

Question 2

2) Most mutations are caught and repaired in the cell.

TRUE or FALSE?

Question 2 Answer

If you answered True….you are CORRECT!

Question 3

3) What is a mutation?a) Any change in genetic material

b) When the sun is directly behind the moon

c) A small green and black frog from Brazil

d) A way the body kills invading cells

Question 3 Answer

If you answered A then you are….CORRECT!

LEARN MORE

• You may use these sites to learn more about mutations, genetics, genomics, and DNA– http://www.genome.gov– http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/training/

GPHP/default.htm

http://www.biology-online.org/

Picture References

• http://technolog.it.umn.edu/technolog/issues/fall2004/genome.htm

• www.virtualsciencefair.org/

• http://www.biology-online.org/