the.com/mutation
the typo in your genetic code that occasionally turns out to be a feature.
means A change in the genetic material of a cell or organism, which may alter how it looks or functions and can be passed on to offspring.
from From Latin 'mutatio,' meaning 'a changing' or 'alteration,' from the verb 'mutare,' 'to change' — the same root that gives us 'mutable,' 'commute,' and 'transmute.' For centuries it just meant any change at all; only in the early days of genetics did biologists narrow it to mean a change in heritable code, the small slip in copying that evolution quietly builds upon.
- daily count
- You acquire roughly 1 new mutation hourly somewhere
- evolution fuel
- Every species exists thanks to ancient copying errors
- superpower
- One mutation grants resistance to HIV infection
- mostly silent
- Most mutations change nothing at all
- sunburn origin
- UV light physically welds your DNA letters together
sickle cell trait — hemoglobin gene mutation affecting ~300 million people, primarily in africa and mediterranean regions
brca1 breast cancer — hereditary mutation identified in 1994, increases breast cancer risk to 70% by age 80
cystic fibrosis cftr — recessive mutation in cftr gene affecting ~30,000 people in us, causes thick lung mucus
lactase persistence — mcm6 gene mutation allowing milk digestion in adulthood, arose ~10,000 years ago in european populations