THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF INHERITANCE
GENE MUTATION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Occurs in our sex chromosomes.
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Gets passed along to offspring.
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Occurs in cells that don’t get passed along.
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Detailed explanation-1: -An alteration in DNA that occurs after conception. Somatic mutations can occur in any of the cells of the body except the germ cells (sperm and egg) and therefore are not passed on to children. These alterations can (but do not always) cause cancer or other diseases.
Detailed explanation-2: -If a mutation occurs in a somatic cell of an organism, it will be present in all descendants of this cell within the same organism. The accumulation of certain mutations over generations of somatic cells is part of the process of malignant transformation, from normal cell to cancer cell.
Detailed explanation-3: -Somatic mutations occur in non-reproductive cells; they are passed to daughter cells during mitosis but not to offspring during sexual reproduction.
Detailed explanation-4: -In humans, somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent. DNA mutations in somatic cells can affect an individual, but they cannot be passed on to their offspring.