Neutral mutation
Neutral mutation
Neutral mutation (pronunciation: /ˈnjuːtrəl ˌmjuːˈteɪʃən/) is a type of genetic mutation that does not result in any noticeable change in the function or phenotype of the organism in which it occurs.
Etymology
The term "neutral mutation" is derived from the English word "neutral", meaning "not helping or supporting either side in a conflict, disagreement, etc.; impartial", and the Latin word "mutatio", meaning "a changing, alteration, a turn for the worse".
Definition
A neutral mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that does not confer any selective advantage or disadvantage to the organism. This is because the mutation does not result in a change in the amino acid sequence of the protein that the gene codes for, or the mutation occurs in a non-coding region of the DNA.
Related Terms
- Synonymous mutation: A type of neutral mutation where the change in the DNA sequence does not result in a change in the amino acid sequence of the protein.
- Non-synonymous mutation: A mutation that results in a change in the amino acid sequence of the protein. This type of mutation can be neutral, beneficial, or harmful, depending on the nature of the change.
- Genetic drift: The change in the frequency of an existing gene variant (allele) in a population due to random sampling of organisms.
- Natural selection: The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Neutral mutation
- Wikipedia's article - Neutral mutation
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