Question

mutations within an organism can occur in body cells or reproductive cells. which type of mutation is seen in a sperm cell but not in a skin cell?
○ somatic mutation
○ missense mutation
○ nonsense mutation
○ germline mutation

Explanation:

1. Analyze each option:

• Somatic mutation: Occurs in body cells (like skin cells), not reproductive cells (like sperm). Eliminate.
• Missense mutation: A type of point mutation changing an amino acid, can occur in both body and reproductive cells. Not specific to sperm. Eliminate.
• Nonsense mutation: A point mutation creating a stop codon, can occur in both cell types. Eliminate.
• Germline mutation: Occurs in reproductive cells (sperm/egg), passed to offspring. Skin cells are body cells, so germline mutations are in sperm but not skin cells.

Answer:

D. germline mutation