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Chapter 14: Problem 5

Most mutations are thought to be deleterious. Why, then, is it reasonable to state that mutations are essential to the evolution- ary process?

Short Answer

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Short Answer: Mutations, despite often being harmful, are essential to the evolutionary process because they provide the necessary genetic diversity for populations to adapt to changing environments. Although most mutations are deleterious, beneficial mutations can provide organisms with a selective advantage, improving their survival and reproduction in their environment. Over time, these advantageous traits become more common within populations, driving evolution and allowing species to adapt and thrive in diverse environments.

Step by step solution

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1. Natural Selection and Evolution

Evolution is the process by which species change over successive generations due to changes in their genetic information. Natural selection is one of the main mechanisms driving this process. It is the process through which individuals with advantageous traits or characteristics have a higher chance of surviving and reproducing, thus passing on these advantageous traits to subsequent generations. Over time, these advantageous traits become more common within the population, ultimately leading to the evolution of the species.
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2. Different Types of Mutations

Genetic mutations are random changes in an organism's DNA sequence. These changes can happen because of errors in the DNA replication process or exposure to various environmental factors. There are three main types of mutations: harmful (deleterious), beneficial, and neutral. Harmful mutations decrease an organism's fitness or ability to survive. Beneficial mutations increase an organism's fitness and adaptation to its environment. Neutral mutations do not significantly impact the organism's fitness.
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3. Deleterious Mutations

The majority of mutations are thought to be deleterious because they often disrupt the normal functions of genes, leading to harmful effects on the organism. These harmful effects may include reduced fitness, increased susceptibility to disease, or decreased survival rates. Since these deleterious mutations negatively impact an organism's ability to survive, they are often removed from the population through the process of natural selection.
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4. Importance of Genetic Diversity in Evolution

Genetic diversity refers to the variety of genetic information within a species or population. It is crucial for the process of evolution because it allows populations to adapt to changing environments. With greater genetic diversity within a population, there is a higher chance that some individuals will possess traits that allow them to better adapt and survive in new or changing environments. As a result, populations with greater genetic diversity are better equipped to respond to environmental pressures and evolve over time.
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5. Beneficial Mutations and Evolution

Although most mutations are thought to be deleterious, beneficial mutations play a crucial role in the evolutionary process. These advantageous genetic changes can provide an organism with a selective advantage, improving its ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. Over time, these beneficial mutations spread through the population via natural selection, and eventually, the population evolves. Thus, mutations, even though many are harmful, are essential to the evolutionary process as they provide the raw material for genetic diversity and adaptation in the face of ever-changing environments.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Why are frameshift mutations likely to be more detrimental than point mutations, in which a single pyrimidine or purine has been substituted?

Why is a random mutation more likely to be deleterious than beneficial?

A significant number of mutations in the \(H B B\) gene that cause human \(\beta\) -thalassemia occur within introns or in upstream noncoding sequences. Explain why mutations in these regions often lead to severe disease, although they may not directly alter the coding regions of the gene.

In this chapter, we focused on how gene mutations arise and how cells repair DNA damage. At the same time, we found opportunities to consider the methods and reasoning by which much of this information was acquired. From the explanations given in the chapter, (a) How do we know that many cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) are also mutagenic? (b) How do we know that certain chemicals and wavelengths of radiation induce mutations in DNA? (c) How do we know that DNA repair mechanisms detect and correct the majority of spontaneous and induced mutations?

Compare DNA transposons and retrotransposons. What properties do they share?
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