Mutation and sequence variation
Mutation changes DNA sequence and can introduce inherited variation.
Key knowledge
A mutation is a change in DNA sequence. It can arise during replication or from other processes that alter DNA. Whether a mutation enters subsequent generations depends on the affected cell lineage and the organism's route of reproduction.
Conditions and scope
- Sequence change does not by itself specify a phenotypic effect or a fitness advantage.
- In animals with a segregated germ line, germline and somatic mutations have different routes of transmission; this distinction is not a universal reproductive rule.
Sources · 1
References
Sources retain their recorded scope. A source link alone does not establish verification of every statement.
Evidence and review
NHGRI sequence-change definition and human germline/somatic context.
2026-10-10 · Checked definition and explicitly bounded transmission scope; no variant interpretation or diagnosis.
Entry details
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