Question

question 31 of 50
how does a mutation in a sex cell differ from a mutation in a non - sex cell?
a. mutations in sex cells are silent mutations.
b. mutations in sex cells are more deadly.
c. mutations in sex cells do not affect the organism.
d. mutations in sex cells are chromosomal mutations.

Explanation:

Mutations in sex cells (germ - line mutations) occur in cells that give rise to gametes (sperm or eggs). These mutations are not present in the somatic (body) cells of the organism that has the sex cell with the mutation. So, they do not directly affect the organism's body structure, function, or phenotype. For example, if a sperm cell has a mutation, the organism that produced that sperm is not affected by that mutation in its own body. In contrast, mutations in non - sex (somatic) cells can affect the organism's body as they are part of the cells that make up the organism's tissues and organs.

• Option A: Mutations in sex cells are not necessarily silent. A silent mutation is a type of mutation that does not change the amino acid sequence of a protein. But sex - cell mutations can be of various types (missense, nonsense, etc.) and not all are silent.
• Option B: Mutations in sex cells are not more deadly. Deadliness of a mutation often depends on its nature (e.g., a mutation that disrupts a vital gene in a somatic cell can be more immediately harmful to the organism than a sex - cell mutation which may only affect offspring).
• Option D: Mutations in sex cells can be gene mutations (point mutations, insertions, deletions at the gene level) as well as chromosomal mutations. So, this option is too restrictive as it only mentions chromosomal mutations.

Answer:

C. Mutations in sex cells do not affect the organism.