Question

A man is exposed to a high amount of ultraviolet light. The light causes DNA in the cells of his eyes to suffer many mutations. His doctor claims that the mutations will not be passed to any future offspring. Which statement BEST describes the doctor's claim? A. The claim is incorrect because point mutations occur in the sex cells and are heritable. B. The claim is incorrect because germ-line mutations occur in the sex calls and are heritable. C. The claim is correct because somatic mutations occur outside of the sex cells and are not heritable. D. The claim is correct because DNA expression mutations occur outside of the sex cells and are not heritable.

Answer 1

The correct statement that BEST describes the doctor's claim is:

C. The claim is correct because somatic mutations occur outside of the sex cells and are not heritable.

Somatic mutations, which occur in non-reproductive cells (such as those in the eyes), do not get passed on to offspring. In contrast, germ-line mutations occur in the sex cells (sperms and eggs) and can be transmitted to future generations. Therefore, the doctor's claim about the non-heritable nature of the mutations caused by UV exposure is accurate in this context.