Hello Everyone !!
Explain :-
(i) Mutation
(ii) mutagen
Answers
Answer:
Mutation
A mutation is a change that occurs in our DNA sequence, either due to mistakes when the DNA is copied or as the result of environmental factors such as UV light and cigarette smoke.
Over a lifetime our DNA can undergo changes or ‘mutations’ in the sequence of bases, A, C, G and T.
This results in changes in the proteins that are made. This can be a bad or a good thing.
Mutations can occur during DNA replication if errors are made and not corrected in time.
Mutations can also occur as the result of exposure to environmental factors such as smoking, sunlight and radiation.
Often cells can recognise any potentially mutation-causing damage and repair it before it becomes a fixed mutation.
Mutations contribute to genetic variation within species.
Mutations can also be inherited, particularly if they have a positive effect.
Etc........
Mutagen
In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material, usually DNA, of an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations can cause cancer, mutagens are therefore also likely to be carcinogens, although not always necessarily so. All mutagens have characteristic mutational signatures with some chemicals becoming mutagenic through cellular processes. Not all mutations are caused by mutagens: so-called "spontaneous mutations" occur due to spontaneous hydrolysis, errors in DNA replication, repair and recombination.