AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -If a mutation occurs in a germ-line cell (one that will give rise to gametes, i.e., egg or sperm cells), then this mutation can be passed to an organism’s offspring. This means that every cell in the developing embryo will carry the mutation.

Detailed explanation-2: -Do Parents Pass Gene Mutations to Children? If a parent carries a gene mutation in their egg or sperm, it can pass to their child. These hereditary (or inherited) mutations are in almost every cell of the person’s body throughout their life.

Detailed explanation-3: -The sperm and egg pass from parents to their children, so the mutation is inherited. You can’t inherit somatic mutations because they occur randomly in cells that aren’t the sperm or egg.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mutations can occur in any cell, but only germline mutations-those present in egg and sperm cells-can be transmitted to offspring. For instance, hereditary diseases are a subtype of genetic disorder that are caused by deleterious germline mutations.