MUTANT ALLELE Meaning and
Definition
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A mutant allele refers to an altered or variant form of a gene that has undergone a genetic mutation. Alleles are different versions of a gene that are responsible for specific traits or characteristics in an individual. Mutations are spontaneous changes that occur in the DNA sequence of a gene, leading to alterations in the protein encoded by that gene.
A mutant allele can be distinguished from the wild-type allele, which is the normal or most common form of a gene found in a population. Mutations can result in changes in the structure, function, or regulation of the protein produced by the gene, thereby leading to different phenotypic outcomes compared to the wild-type allele.
Mutant alleles can have diverse effects on an organism, ranging from mild to severe. Some mutant alleles may result in new or altered traits that provide an advantage or disadvantage to the individual, while others may cause genetic disorders or diseases. Furthermore, mutant alleles can be recessive or dominant, meaning that their effects on the phenotype might be hidden in the presence of the wild-type allele or displayed regardless of the presence of the wild-type allele.
The study of mutant alleles, their effects, and their inheritance patterns plays a significant role in genetics and biology, as it helps researchers understand the relationship between genes and the traits or diseases they influence.
Common Misspellings for MUTANT ALLELE
- nutant allele
- kutant allele
- jutant allele
- mytant allele
- mhtant allele
- mjtant allele
- mitant allele
- m8tant allele
- m7tant allele
- murant allele
- mufant allele
- mugant allele
- muyant allele
- mu6ant allele
- mu5ant allele
- mutznt allele
- mutsnt allele
- mutwnt allele
- mutqnt allele
- mutabt allele
Etymology of MUTANT ALLELE
The word "mutant" originates from the Latin word "mutare", meaning "to change". It entered the English language in the early 20th century, primarily used in the context of genetics to describe a heritable change in the DNA sequence of an organism.
The word "allele" comes from the German terms "all", meaning "all", and "ele", an abbreviation of "elektron", referring to the entity borne on a chromosome. The term was coined by the Danish botanist Wilhelm Johannsen in the early 20th century to describe alternative forms of a gene.
Therefore, the term "mutant allele" combines the concept of genetic change (mutant) with the specific form of a gene (allele), referring to a changed or altered version of a particular gene in an organism.
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