Question

Prior to a muscle cell undergoing mitosis, a nucleotide in a particular gene is deleted during replication. Why is this mutation unlikely to seriously affect the organism’s offspring?

Deletion mutations are harmful only in germ cells.

Deletion mutations are rarely harmful.

Muscle cells are somatic cells.

Only chromosomal mutations can be passed to an organism’s offspring.

Answer 1

Muscle cells are somatic cells. A mutation that arises in a somatic cell (like a muscle cell) won't be passed on to gametes, so it won't be inherited by the organism's offspring.