Exposure to the building material asbestos has been linked to certain types of cancers. Asbestos causes mutations in the p53 gene, which controls tumor suppression.

Question

Which statement best explains why people with cancer due to asbestos exposure do not pass the mutation on to their offspring?

The mutation occurred in gametic cells.

The mutation is recessive.

The mutation occurred in somatic cells.

The mutation is sex-linked.

Answer 1

The correct statement is:

The mutation occurred in somatic cells.

Somatic mutations occur in non-germ cells (the cells that do not give rise to egg or sperm), meaning they are not passed on to offspring. In contrast, mutations in the germ cells (gametes) can be inherited. Since the cancer-related mutations caused by asbestos exposure occur in somatic cells, they do not affect the genetic material that is passed on to future generations.