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mutation
mutation
mutation A sudden random change in the genetic material of a cell that may cause it and all cells derived from it to differ in appearance or behaviour from the normal type. An organism affected by a mutation (especially one with visible effects) is described as a
mutant.
Somatic mutations affect the nonreproductive cells and are therefore restricted to the tissues of a single organism but
germ-line mutations, which occur in the reproductive cells or their precursors, may be transmitted to the organism's descendants and cause abnormal development.
Mutations occur naturally at a low rate but this may be increased by radiation and by some chemicals (see
mutagen). Most are
point mutations, which consist of invisible changes in the DNA of the chromosomes, but some (the
chromosome mutations) affect the appearance or the number of the chromosomes. An example of a chromosome mutation is that giving rise to
Down's syndrome.
The majority of mutations are harmful, but a very small proportion may increase an organism's
fitness; these spread through the population over successive generations by natural selection. Mutation is therefore essential for evolution, being the ultimate source of genetic variation.
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Spontaneous Mutations in Diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae: More Beneficial Than Expected
Magazine article from: Genetics; 12/1/2004; ; 700+ words
; ...all fitness-altering mutations are deleterious. The mutation rate was estimated as 6...spontaneously arising beneficial mutations, the genome-wide mutation rate, and the average effect of spontaneous mutations. Our study improves on...
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Mutations Linked to HBV Levels in IFN-Treated Patients.
Newspaper article from: Hepatitis Weekly; 8/30/1999; ; 700+ words
; ...determination of these two mutations and viral levels...core promoter mutation appeared to occur...induce any specific mutations. Core promoter mutation appeared to develop...of the precore mutation, and the virus with these two mutations seemed to be the...
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Mutation panel described for screening BRCA1/2 mutations in French Canadians.
Newspaper article from: Biotech Week; 12/29/2004; 700+ words
; ...Oros and coauthors said their "results define a new mutation panel for screening BRCA1/2 mutations and the phenotype of mutation-positive families harboring the common mutations in the French Canadian population." Oros and coauthors...
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BRAF Mutations in Melanocytic Lesions and Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Samples Identified Using Melting Curve Analysis of Polymerase Chain Reaction Products
Magazine article from: Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine; 9/1/2007; ; 700+ words
; ...Forty different mutations have been identified...with the T1799A mutation leading to substitution...than 90% of the mutations.3,5-11 The V600E mutation is within the...as a BRAF K601E mutation.28 Interestingly, BRAF mutations do not seem to...
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Mutations in K-ras Codon 12 Detected in Plasma DNA Are Not an Indicator of Disease in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Magazine article from: Clinical Chemistry; 7/1/2005; ; 700+ words
; ...significantly to mutation detection (in their case, K-ras mutations in the plasma of...note that K-ras mutations have been detected...observed K-ras mutation in 2 volunteers...the detection of mutations in codon 12 of...
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Cystic fibrosis mutations and associated haplotypes in Turkish cystic fibrosis patients
Magazine article from: Human Biology; 4/1/2001; ; 700+ words
; ...associated with unknown mutations. The mutation spectrum of CF in...TURKISH POPULATION, MUTATION SCREENING, HAPLOTYPES Mutations in the cystic fibrosis...of unidentified mutations. In populations...heterogeneity, mutation analysis can be...
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Adaptive Mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Magazine article from: Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; 7/1/2007; ; 700+ words
; ...selection-induced mutations, replication-independent...starvation, spontaneous mutation 1. INTRODUCTION...stationary-phase mutations (e.g., Ryan...the benefit of the mutations. In contrast, "adaptive mutation" (Steele and Jinks...
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Mutation Rate Variation at Human Dinucleotide Microsatellites
Magazine article from: Genetics; 5/1/2005; ; 700+ words
; ...locus, even though their mutation rates are several orders of...Furthermore, the estimates of mutation rates with direct methods...of the observed number of mutations over several loci, scored...reasonable estimates of the average mutation rate of a group of microsatellite...
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MUTATIONS OF THE NOGGIN AND OF THE ACTIVIN A TYPE I RECEPTOR GENES IN FIBRODYSPLASIA OSSIFICANS PROGRESSIVA (FOP)
Magazine article from: Genetic Counseling; 7/1/2007; ; 700+ words
; ...4), for mutations in the noggin...and for the mutation 617A in the...and the 271T mutations (in s2, s3...and the 283A mutation in f7/FRA2...of the M)G mutations usually don't bear the 617A mutation of the ACVRl...
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Mutations in melanocortin 4 receptor gene linked to binge-eating behavior.
Newspaper article from: Genomics & Genetics Weekly; 5/2/2003; 700+ words
; ...association was found between mutations in the leptin-binding region...of the subjects possessed mutations in the region of POMC that...characteristic of subjects with a mutation in MC4R, a candidate gene...melanocortin 4 receptor gene mutations. New England Journal of Medicine...
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Mutation Rate
Book article from: Genetics
Mutation Rate Mutation rate refers to the frequency of new mutations per generation in an...organism or a population. Mutation rates can be determined...influencing observed mutation rates is the means by which mutations are detected, as some...
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Mutations
Book article from: World of Microbiology and Immunology
Mutations A mutation is any change in...the source of the mutation, the genetic alteration...individual gene . Mutations may have little...gene. Nonsense mutations are also single...product. Another mutation involves the alteration...
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Mutation
Book article from: Biology
Mutation Mutations are physical changes in genes...in the gametes (germ-line mutation). Mutations may be caused by natural events...This is called a frame-shift mutation. Frame-shift mutations almost always result in nonfunctional...
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mutation
Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
...Sometimes the word mutation is used broadly...in chromosomal mutations the number of...can be a higher mutation rate of all genes...organism. Induced Mutations Mutations may...of detecting mutations that are lethal. Mutation and Evolution...
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Gene Mutation
Encyclopedia entry from: The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
...within a gene can be nonsense mutations (which cause protein synthesis to stop prematurely), missense mutations (a mutation that results an a substitution...another in a protein), or silent mutations that cause no detectable change...
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