Changes in genetic code passed to the next generation are called:

Changes in genetic code passed to the next generation are called:

• A. Indirect effect
• B. Target theory
• C. Direct effect
• D. Mutations

Answer: (D)

Mutations are changes in the genetic code that can be passed to the next generation. This means the DNA sequence has been altered in a way that, if it occurs in germ cells (sperm or eggs) or very early in development, the offspring will inherit that change. Mutations can involve a single nucleotide change, small insertions or deletions, or larger structural rearrangements, and they introduce new genetic variation that can be acted on by evolution. If the change happens only in non-reproductive cells, it wouldn’t be inherited by offspring, though it could affect the individual. The other terms don’t describe inherited DNA changes: they don’t refer to heritable alterations in the genetic code, whereas mutations specifically capture those heritable changes.

Mutations are changes in the genetic code that can be passed to the next generation. This means the DNA sequence has been altered in a way that, if it occurs in germ cells (sperm or eggs) or very early in development, the offspring will inherit that change. Mutations can involve a single nucleotide change, small insertions or deletions, or larger structural rearrangements, and they introduce new genetic variation that can be acted on by evolution. If the change happens only in non-reproductive cells, it wouldn’t be inherited by offspring, though it could affect the individual. The other terms don’t describe inherited DNA changes: they don’t refer to heritable alterations in the genetic code, whereas mutations specifically capture those heritable changes.