Question
Caroline was absent from her science class and missed the lesson about mutations. When she returned to school the next day, her teacher suggested she talk with her lab partner Markell to discuss what she missed.
What should Markell tell her about mutations to BEST explain how they can affect an organism’s genes?
Mutations are rarely harmful. They cause genetic disorders or cancer.
All mutations are harmful. A mutation is a change in the gene sequence.
Mutations occur at random. Some mutations can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful.
Most mutations are helpful. The type of mutation depends on the gene sequence it affects.
What should Markell tell her about mutations to BEST explain how they can affect an organism’s genes?
Mutations are rarely harmful. They cause genetic disorders or cancer.
All mutations are harmful. A mutation is a change in the gene sequence.
Mutations occur at random. Some mutations can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful.
Most mutations are helpful. The type of mutation depends on the gene sequence it affects.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Markell should tell Caroline that "Mutations occur at random. Some mutations can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful." This explanation captures the diversity of mutation effects on genes and highlights that mutations are not uniformly harmful or beneficial, which is essential for understanding their role in evolution and genetic variation.