Genetic Mutations

In General:

A gene mutation is a change or modification in the DNA sequence, which means that it is different than the sequence of a "normal" person. This change is permanent. Gene mutations come in many different sizes from a single base pair, to big pieces of a chromosome. There are two types main types of gene mutation:

1. Hereditary Mutations: These mutations are mutations that are present in a persons entire life. It happens at conception, when the sperm and the egg unite. After the egg is fertilized it gets DNA from both of its parents, and if either parent has a gene mutations, the baby will also have this mutation. This mutations is present in every cell of the persons body because as the the embryo's cells divide, each cells will also have the mutation. An example of this is colour-blindness. With this mutation, even though it is in your cells it doesn't automatically mean that it come out during your life. Eg. You may have the colour-blindness mutation, but you may not be colour-blind.
2. Acquired/Somatic Mutations: These mutations are not from conception but are received at some point in the person's life. These mutations are only in some of the cells of the body. These mutations are caused by environmental factors like ultra-violet radiations from the sun. Theses genes are not passed down from parents. Our bodies usually do a good job in finding mistakes in our DNA pattern and replacing the mistake with the proper code. But mistakes still happen and mutations happen because of it. (see image below) There are also different causes of mutations as well:

• Spontaneous Mutations: These are mutations that just occur suddenly without any reason
• Induced Mutations: These are mutations that happen when an organism is exposed to irregular and different environments (eg. radiation for cancer)

Possible kinds of Mutations:

• Insertion: This is when a part of a DNA sequence is added to a different DNA sequence.
• Deletion: When a part of a DNA sequence is left out and causes a change in the sequence.
• Duplication: When a part of a DNA sequence is doubled and added to it.
• Inversion: This is when a part of the DNA sequence is in the right spot but its flipped.
• Translocation: This mutations when two DNA sequence switch parts.

The disease causing mutations are quite uncommon, but there are also other mutations that happen more frequently. These are called polymorphisms, examples of these would be hair colour, or eye colour, or blood type.

Using the term 'mutation' it usually means a change in the nucleic acids of an organism, because the nucleic acids are the building blocks of DNA. Mutations, is what makes everyone and everything biologically diverse. God uses small mutations to make every person unique. When people think of genetic mutations they might right away think of bad things. But there are all different kinds of mutations. There are some mutations that are bad, some are good, and some are neutral.

This video will give you a better idea of what gene mutations are: