why are mutations that occur in a body cell of an organism .?
924883
When the body cells mutate, the mutation only affects that organism. It will not be passed on to future generations.\nIf the sex cell mutates, that mutated trait could be passed on to offspring and they could pass it along to their offspring and so on.
336439
Mutation generates differences.  Most mutations are deleterious and natural selection tends to eliminate them quickly.  Many are neutral and are retained to some degree because there's nothing weeding them out.  A few are positive and variation is also lost in that case because selection will eliminate the other variations.\n\nThere is a process called frequency dependent selection whereby a trait is advantageous but only if its rare.  For example since hosts adapt to a certain kind of parasite, it is advantageous for a parasite to have rare characteristics.  That way the host is unlikely to have seen that model before and the parasite is likely to be successful.  In that case selection actually favors a lot of versions in a species because as soon as anything become really numerous it becomes deleterious.
961394
...to live and reproduce? You need to be more specific... what kind of animal cell? In what organ? Or is it a single-celled organism? Do you mean the structure?
119623
In nature, living things evolve through changes in their DNA. In an animal like a chicken, DNA from a male sperm cell and a female ovum meet and combine to form a zygote -- the first cell of a new baby chicken. This first cell divides innumerable times to form all of the cells of the complete animal. In any animal, every cell contains exactly the same DNA, and that DNA comes from the zygote. \n\nChickens evolved from non-chickens through small changes caused by the mixing of male and female DNA or by mutations to the DNA that produced the zygote. These changes and mutations only have an effect at the point where a new zygote is created. That is, two non-chickens mated and the DNA in their new zygote contained the mutation(s) that produced the first true chicken. That one zygote cell divided to produce the first true chicken. \n\nPrior to that first true chicken zygote, there were only non-chickens. The zygote cell is the only place where DNA mutations could produce a new animal, and the zygote cell is housed in the chicken's egg. So, the egg must have come first.\n\nVirginia Kelly\n\nTo be ...
905240
Alterations to DNA are called mutations, and they can result in the formation of new characteristics that are heritable, or capable of being inherited.\n\nEvery cell in the body of every living organism contains DNA in threadlike structures called chromosomes. Stretches of DNA that hold coded instructions for the manufacture of specific proteins are known as genes, of which the human race has approximately 40,000 varieties. If the DNA of a particular gene is altered, that gene may become defective, and the protein for which it codes also may be missing or defective. Just one missing or abnormal protein can have an enormous effect on the entire body: albinism, for instance, is the result of one missing protein.\n\nMutations also can be errors in all or part of a chromosome. Humans normally have 23 pairs of chromosomes, and an extra chromosome can have a tremendous negative impact. For example, there should be two of chromosome 21, as with all other chromosomes, but if there are three, the result is Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome have a unique physical appearance and are developmentally disabled. Nor is an extra chromosome the only chromosomal abnormality that causes problems: if chromosomes 9 and 22 exchange materials, a phenomenon known as translocation, the result can be a certain type of leukemia. Down syndrome also results from translocation.\n\nGerminal mutations are those that occur in the egg or sperm cells and therefore can be passed on to the organism's offspring. Somatic mutations are those that happen in cells other than the sex cells, and they cannot be transmitted to the next generation. This is an important distinction to keep in mind in terms of both the causes and the effects of mutation. If only the somatic cells of the organism are affected, the mutation will not appear in the next generation; on the other hand, if a germinal mutation is involved, what was once an abnormality may become so common in certain populations that it emerges as the norm.\nEvery single human trait—blue eyes, red hair, cystic fibrosis, a second toe longer than the big toe, and so on—is the result of some genetic mutation somewhere back down the line. Traits that are shared by all people must have arisen long ago, while other traits occur only in certain populations of people. Traits may be as innocuous as eye color or hair texture or as grave as a shared tendency toward a particular disease. Cystic fibrosis, for instance, is most common in people of northern European descent, while sickle cell anemia (see Amino Acids) occurs frequently in those of African and Mediterranean ancestry. A fatal disorder known as Tay-Sachs is found primarily in Jewish people whose ancestors came from Eastern Europe. In many cases, the particular mutation, while harmful in one regard, proved to be a useful one for that population. We know, for example, that while two copies of the mutant sickle cell anemia gene cause illness, one copy confers resistance to malaria—a very useful trait to people living in the tropics, where malaria is common.\n\nThe Pima "fat-Storage Mutation."\n\nResearchers have noted a high incidence of obesity among the Pima, a Native American tribe whose ancestral homeland is along the Gila and Salt rivers in Arizona. The Pima tend to eat a diet that is no more fatty than that of the average American—which, of course, means that it is plenty fatty, complete with chips, bologna, ice cream, and all the other high-calorie, low-nutrient foods that most Americans consume. But whereas the average American is over-weight, the average Pima is more dramatically so. This suggests that long ago, when the ancestors of the Pima had to face repeated periods of famine in the dry lands of the American Southwest, survival favored the individual or individuals who had a mutation for fat storage. It so happens that today, there is more than enough food at the local supermarket, but by now the Pima as a group has the fat-stora
309255
NO it is not, it is a cellular mutation that can be reversed. To find our more check out the link.
24788
there are many mutations that happened to be beneficial to humans. for example, sickle cell anemia mutations created a positive effect in africa where malaria was prevalent
252508
Organisms do not 'evolve' in response to changes in their environment in order to adapt to that change. Through a process called random mutation, mutant genes are constantly being produced in a small percentage of any given population. If there is no change to the environment, these mutant genes are generally less able to survive than their parent/s. However if there is a sudden or dramatic change, the mutant may be favored over the 'normal' population, because its mutant gene is compatible with the new conditions. This mutant gene now becomes the norm thus ensuring the survival of  its offspring who have inherited this gene.
307910
Yes, there are deffinatly mutants in the world. However there are both possitive and negative mutations. Most end up being negative because the body is a highly complex and evolved system. However, some times the mutations can be benifficial, such as Einstein who had an extra fold in his brain that increased his ability to manipulate numbers mentally, or Lance Armstrong who has an increased lung capacity. However many mutations are bad such as hemophilia, the Mobius Syndrome and sickle cell disease.\n\nAs fro getting mutations, get into the sunlight. The sun produces mutinogenic radiation. AKA Ultraviolet radiation. You recieve mutations everytime you go outside. However luckly for us, our bodies fix themselves most of the time. however when a mutations lasts and spreads it is called CANCER!!!!!
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Organisms that are the best fit tend to survive longer and reproduce more, having more offspring and passing on their DNA to future generations.  If mutations occur in the DNA that makes the organism better able to survive, it's likely that it will be passed on.  If you look at organisms' DNA over time, you'd find the changes/mutations that have occured.\n\nThe above responder is absolutely incorrect about mutations: they CAN add nucleotides to the sequence of DNA. In fact, they can make 3 small-scale changes: point mutations (changing from one nucleotide into another), insertions (adding nucleotides), as well as deletions (removing nucleotides). I know this for a fact because we have just recently finished studying this exact subject matter in my biology class.  Also check out my source link and you'll find that out.
995002
Mutations occur frequently, not like in the cartoons, but small changes happen in chromosomes that are not inherited from the mother or the father.  Some of them cause terrible diseases, others may not cause problems at all.
1002548
Every living being is trying to reproduce and have successful, surviving, reproducing offspring.  In every reproduction there is a chance of mutation, that one of the genes will function differently.  Often these changes in function cause a defect or a disadvantage, and the creatures with these mutations will die out without reproducing.  However, if the different function results in a significant advantage (making better use of a current food source or enabling the usage of a new food source) than the offspring with that mutation will become more likely to survive and the mutation will become the norm until a new mutation replaces it or environmental conditions change.\n\nThe diversity of life on Earth stems from life forms mutating and making use of all the millions of possible food sources that exist.
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Viruses must take over an organisms cells to reproduce more viruses. When the cell machinery the virus hijacks to reproduce makes a mistake when making the viruses genetic code (either DNA or RNA depending on the virus) it is called a mutation.\n\nAny time a piece of genetic information gets transcribed incorrectly, or changes due to outside influence (radiation for example) it is called a mutation. Most mutations are harmful, but sometimes a mutation turns out to be beneficial to an organism, or in this case virus which isn't actually alive (that's a whole other question). When it is said that a "virus has mutated" it can mean several things, sometimes it's as simple as a change to the viruses protein shell, called a capsid. Specifically, what scientists are worried about in a H5N1 mutation is a mutation that changes the virus receptor proteins. Receptor proteins are the part of a virus that allows it to attach and attack other cells, these receptors have special shapes, like a key, and only can attach to cells that have a corresponding shape. A good example of this is a Rhino virus, or the common cold, cold viruses have receptor proteins that attack the nasal tissue in humans, which is why it causes that particular type of infection. \n\nMost viruses start out infecting a particular species, the worry with H5N1 is that it will mutate into a form that is easily transmittable between humans, instead of birds. H5N1 appears to be a particularly deadly form of flu, if something like this happened, millions upon millions of people would die. Even countries like the US would be unable to care for all the sick people. This nasty kind of infections happen every once and while, the last really bad one, H1N1, in 1918 killed 50-100 million people.
30588
Actually, mutation is normal in every being.\n\nThe genetic code is "divided" (not physically) into TRIPLETS of nitrogened bases. Each triplet codifies for one AMINOACID, which will later form proteins.\n\nNow, the thing is that the same aminoacid can be codified by three or four DIFFERENT triplets. For instance, the aminoacid tryptophan can be codified from the triplets ACU, ACC, ACA and ACG.\n\nAs you may see in that case, the only nitrogen base that changes is the last one (U,C,A,G), but the result of the codification is the same: the aminoacid tryptophan.\n\nSo, in that case, if a mutation occurs in the last nitrogen base, it doesn't really affect anything at all, since tryptophan will still be produced.\n\nThat's what's called a SILENT MUTATION. It has no effect at all in an individual.\n\nThe real problem with mutations start when the first or second nitrogened base of the triplet is mutated. There, the aminoacid that is produced is different that the one is supposed to be produced.\n\nBut even then, if the aminoacid changes the protein (made up from hundreds of aminoacids) might still be the same, without having any effect on the individual.\n\nTo sum up: mutations happen everyday to everyone. The large majority of them has no effect on the general aspect of individuals, and some of them only have minor effects (for example, a mole is the product of a mutation!!!).\n\nWhen they are serious, though, it can lead to any kind of problems, such as cancer and others.\n\nHope it clarified!
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A mutation in a lung cell is present in that cell only and the cells that will come from its division. This doesn't affect the genetic composition of all your cells and specially not from the germ line cells (spermatozoides or oocyte).\n\nAny cell that is not a germline cell is called somatic cell. Any mutation in a somatic cell will never be passed on to offspring.
978265
Well, a mutagen can be a virus, chemical or radiation that causes a mutation which is a random change in a DNA gene.  Thymine and cytosine are nitrogenous bases called pyrimidines and they have a single ring that links the sugar on the DNA rungs.  They also form a base pair.  Adenine and guanine also form a base pair and are double ringed.  They are in a group called purines.  An anticodon is a set of corresponding transfer RNA.  I know that thymine is replaced with uracil in RNA, but I would tell you more if I had all my notes.  Hope I helped a bit.
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The sum of the chemical reactions that take place within each cell of a living organism and that provide energy for vital processes and for synthesizing new organic material.\n\nMy Adice to you: You seem to be doing a researh of some scientific sort. I recommend you take advantage of the internet which could help you in this regard. Try accessing an online Encyclopedia.\n\nGood Luck!