NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Mutations can also occur as the result of exposure to environmental factors such as smoking, sunlight and radiation. Often cells can recognize any potentially mutation-causing damage and repair it before it becomes a fixed mutation. Mutations contribute to genetic variation within species.

Detailed explanation-2: -Mutations are changes in the genetic sequence, and they are a main cause of diversity among organisms. These changes occur at many different levels, and they can have widely differing consequences.

Detailed explanation-3: -Major causes of variation include mutations, gene flow, and sexual reproduction.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mutation creates slightly different versions of the same genes, called alleles. These small differences in DNA sequence make every individual unique. They account for the variation we see in human hair color, skin color, height, shape, behavior, and susceptibility to disease.

Detailed explanation-5: -Figure 2: Mutations can occur in germ-line cells or somatic cells. Germ-line mutations occur in reproductive cells (sperm or eggs) and are passed to an organism’s offspring during sexual reproduction.