Mutation of DNA within a single somatic cell of a multicellular organism

Question

A. may have no phenotypic consequence

B. is usually inherited by individuals in future generations 

C. automatically results in cell death

D. is generally deleterious to the organism

E. creates hundreds of genetic alterations during DNA replication 

Answer 1

Hi John,

Let's first understand what a somatic cell is; it's any cell in the body that is NOT a germ cell (aka reproductive cell). The DNA in a somatic cell is not passed down to future generations, only the DNA in a germ cell would, so B is out. D is not necessarily true because it's a mutation in a single cell, which is quite insignificant in terms of the whole organism. Although some mutations are harmful, some can be silent, which doesn't change anything in the body. This problem doesn't specify what the specific mutation is, so C can be ruled out. This also tells us that A would be the answer because we don't know whether the mutation will have an identifiable effect (phenotype is the observable characteristic of genes).

Answer 2

Correct Answer:

B. is generally deleterious to the organism. 

It is important to keep in mind that somatic cells entail everything but sperm and eggs, meaning that they are the cells that arise post-fertilization. Shall a mutation occur within a somatic cell, as in the case of cancer, such mutations cannot be passed on to future generations because they do not have an effect on sperm nor eggs. Most of the time they result in metastasis in the body if not treated appropriately. having a harmful effect on the human body.

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