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?

Question

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 best statement that describes the doctor's claim is:

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

This is because the mutations caused by the ultraviolet light exposure in the man's eye cells are likely somatic mutations, which affect non-reproductive cells and do not get passed on to future offspring. In contrast, only mutations in the germ-line (the cells that give rise to sperm and eggs) can be inherited.