mutation

[ myoo-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. Biology.
   1. Also called break. a sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome.
   2. Also called sport. an individual, species, or the like, resulting from such a departure.
2. the act or process of changing.
3. a change or alteration, as in form or nature.
4. Phonetics. umlaut.
5. Linguistics. (in Celtic languages) syntactically determined morphophonemic phenomena that affect initial sounds of words.

mutation

/ mjuːˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of mutating; change; alteration
2. a change or alteration
3. a change in the chromosomes or genes of a cell. When this change occurs in the gametes the structure and development of the resultant offspring may be affected See also inversion
4. another word for mutant
5. a physical characteristic of an individual resulting from this type of chromosomal change
6. phonetics
   1. (in Germanic languages) another name for umlaut
   2. (in Celtic languages) a phonetic change in certain initial consonants caused by a preceding word

mutation

/ myo̅o̅-tā′shən /

1. A change in the structure of the genes or chromosomes of an organism. Mutations occurring in the reproductive cells, such as an egg or sperm, can be passed from one generation to the next. Most mutations occur in junk DNA and have no discernible effects on the survivability of an organism. Of the remaining mutations, the majority have harmful effects, while a minority can increase an organism's ability to survive. A mutation that benefits a species may evolve by means of natural selection into a trait shared by some or all members of the species.
2. See Note at sickle cell anemia

Derived Forms

• muˈtational, adjective
• muˈtationally, adverb

Other Words From

• mu·tation·al adjective
• mu·tation·al·ly adverb
• nonmu·tation·al adjective
• nonmu·tation·al·ly adverb
• unmu·tation·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mutation¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English mutacio(u)n, from Latin mūtātion- (stem of mūtātiō ) “a changing”; mutate, -ion

Example Sentences

The mutations, known as copy number alterations, involve the duplication or loss of large segments of DNA.

From Science Daily

"Luckily, it's also something we can overcome, either with brute force or, better, with a smart mutation directly tackling the source of the problem, the acidic patch."

From Science Daily

Spontaneous mutations of DNA arise in all living cells, including those within bacteria.

From Science Daily

In the study, 10 children had parasites with genetic mutations previously associated with artemisinin partial resistance.

From Science Daily

"We already knew that certain mutations in these subunits are linked to the eye disease retinitis pigmentosa," says Dr. Cristian Prieto-Garcia from the Institute of Biochemistry II, the first author of the study.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• alteration
• anomaly
• variation