Preferred term
mutation
Definition
- [Henderson's] n. a change in the amount or chemical structure of DNA resulting in a change in the characteristics of an organism or an individual cell. The changes are due to alterations in, or non-production of, proteins (or RNAs) specified by the altered DNA. Mutations occurring in body cells of multicellular organisms are called somatic mutations and are only passed on to the immediate descendants of those cells. Mutations occurring in germline cells can be inherited by the offspring. Mutations can occur spontaneously as a result of errors in normal cell processes, e.g. DNA replication, or can be induced by certain chemicals or radiation. Alterations in DNA that do not cause any phenotypic change are also sometimes called mutations (silent mutations or neutral mutations). see also back mutation, base substitution, deletion, frameshift, insertion, neutral mutation, point mutation, translocation, transposition, transversion, revertant, silent mutation, wild type.
Broader concept
Note
- [controlled by ] Mark Frenzel, 22 May 2013
Scope note
- US LTER controlled vocabulary
Creator
- herbert.schentz@umweltbundesamt.at
In other languages
Arabic
- تطفير
Bulgarian
- Мутация
Chinese
- 突变
Croatian
- mutacija
Czech
- mutace
Danish
- mutation
Dutch
- mutatie
Estonian
- mutatsioon
Finnish
- mutaatio, muutos
French
- mutation
German
- Mutation
Greek
- μετάλλαξη
Hungarian
- mutáció
Italian
- mutazione
Japanese
- 突然変異
Latvian
- mutācija
Lithuanian
- mutacija
Norwegian
- mutasjon
Polish
- mutacja
Portuguese
- mutação
Romanian
- mutaţie
Slovak
- mutácia
Slovenian
- mutacija
Spanish
- mutación
Swedish
- mutation
URI
http://vocabs.lter-europe.net/EnvThes/21025