mutation

[myoo-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. Biology.

   1. Also called break. a sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome.

   2. Also called sport. an individual, species, or the like, resulting from such a departure.

2. the act or process of changing.

3. a change or alteration, as in form or nature.

4. Phonetics.,  umlaut.

5. Linguistics.,  (in Celtic languages) syntactically determined morphophonemic phenomena that affect initial sounds of words.

mutation

/ mjuːˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of mutating; change; alteration

2. a change or alteration

3. a change in the chromosomes or genes of a cell. When this change occurs in the gametes the structure and development of the resultant offspring may be affected See also inversion

4. another word for mutant

5. a physical characteristic of an individual resulting from this type of chromosomal change

6. phonetics

   1. (in Germanic languages) another name for umlaut

   2. (in Celtic languages) a phonetic change in certain initial consonants caused by a preceding word

mutation

1. A change in the structure of the genes or chromosomes of an organism. Mutations occurring in the reproductive cells, such as an egg or sperm, can be passed from one generation to the next. Most mutations occur in junk DNA and have no discernible effects on the survivability of an organism. Of the remaining mutations, the majority have harmful effects, while a minority can increase an organism's ability to survive. A mutation that benefits a species may evolve by means of natural selection into a trait shared by some or all members of the species.

2. See Note at sickle cell anemia

Other Word Forms

• mutational adjective
• mutationally adverb
• nonmutational adjective
• nonmutationally adverb
• unmutational adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mutation¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English mutacio(u)n, from Latin mūtātion- (stem of mūtātiō ) “a changing”; mutate, -ion

Example Sentences

Because that mutation hasn’t yet happened, most of the public is unaware of the threat.

Read more on Salon

"In principle, this technology could eventually be used to address many hundreds of genetic diseases by correcting small mutations directly in cells and tissues," Chauhan says.

Read more on Science Daily

A number of readers urged me to get my blood tested for genetic mutations that might explain the clots or indicate whether I could get more down the line.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Gene mutations that control growth change how a cancer cell looks, and that can be detected by AI.

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Researchers suspected that the mutation causing the condition was somewhere on the X chromosome, because females, which have two X chromosomes, are less affected.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alteration 
• anomaly 
• variation