As an adult your DNA replicates billions of times and undergoes cell division. I
ID: 13520 • Letter: A
Question
As an adult your DNA replicates billions of times and undergoes cell division. In the face of extreme challenge, DNA polmerase does a remarkably good job of inserting proper nucleotide at each spot in response to template. Though, mistakes occasionally occur.a. what is one way in which a mutation can occur duing dna replication.
b. what is one way in which a mutation can be initiated in DNA that is not replicating.
c. explain how in a. (from above) the type of mutation would be repaired.
d. is every unrepaired mutation harmful? Why or why not?
Explanation / Answer
Answer:
A] DNA polymerase may insert the wrong nucleotide by mistake. Occurs at a very low frequency of around 1 out of every 100,000 nucleotides.
B] Phosphorylation of the promoter region will read the genome sequence and encode an improperly working protein.
C] DNA polymerase itself contains proof-reading functions to minimize error. Other MMR repair proteins also exist to help correct any errors.
D] No. Some may be silent since multiple codons in the genetic code may code for the same amino acid. Others may actually be helpful in terms of evolution by coding for more beneficial phenotypes for the organism. Unfortunately, some are also harmful such as those found in cancer.
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