EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Physical mutagens, mostly ionizing radiation, can increase the natural mutation rate by 1, 000 to 1 million fold, and have been widely used to induce heritable genetic changes. More than 70 per cent of induced and released mutant crop varieties have been developed using physical mutagens.

Detailed explanation-2: -As mutations may occur spontaneously, it can induce artificially. Artificially induced mutations can be created by physical mutagens, such as X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons, and chemical mutagens, such as ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), in plant mutation breeding [12].

Detailed explanation-3: -Hermann Joseph Muller conducted three experiments in 1926 and 1927 that demonstrated that exposure to x-rays, a form of high-energy radiation, can cause genetic mutations, changes to an organism’s genome, particularly in egg and sperm cells.

Detailed explanation-4: -Ionizing radiation damages the genetic material in reproductive cells and results in mutations that are transmitted from generation to generation.

Detailed explanation-5: -The rate of mutation can be increased by environmental factors such as UV radiation, X-rays, gamma rays and certain types of chemicals such as bromine.