A permanent change in DNA is called what?

A permanent change in DNA is called what?

• A. Mutation
• B. Variation
• C. Adaptation
• D. Recombination

Answer: (A)

Mutation is a permanent alteration to the DNA sequence. These changes can be as small as a single nucleotide substitution or as large as insertions, deletions, or rearrangements. If they occur in germ cells, mutations can be passed to offspring, making them a source of heritable variation. This distinguishes mutation from other concepts: variation is the presence of differences among individuals; adaptation describes how populations become better suited to their environment over generations; recombination is a process that rearranges genetic material to produce new allele combinations, not the definition of a permanent DNA change.

Mutation is a permanent alteration to the DNA sequence. These changes can be as small as a single nucleotide substitution or as large as insertions, deletions, or rearrangements. If they occur in germ cells, mutations can be passed to offspring, making them a source of heritable variation. This distinguishes mutation from other concepts: variation is the presence of differences among individuals; adaptation describes how populations become better suited to their environment over generations; recombination is a process that rearranges genetic material to produce new allele combinations, not the definition of a permanent DNA change.