Lecture, chapter 11 - Mutation

Today we finished the chapter on mutation.

We discussed the different types of mutations (nucleotide substitutions, insertion/deletions [indels], and allelic expansions) and their potential effects on phenotype.

We also discussed how a cell prevents most of the DNA changes from becoming mutations: By putting in place a proofreading mechanism (performed by DNA polymerase) and DNA repair systems (performed by a variety of enzyme batteries). As part of the discussion, we mentioned the possible consequences of a mutation in genes that encode DNA repair enzymes.

We briefly mentioned the effects of mutations in genes affected by genetic imprinting and the effects mutations on specific nucleotides vs. mutations on any of a number of possible nucleotides

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