Essay Sample on Genetic Mutation

Introduction

When human beings are born, they automatically inherit some of the genes from their parents. When an offspring inherit genes, some of the characteristics of the parent are passed down to the offspring. However, this is not always the case. In some situations, genes contained in the human body undergoes changes that enable some characteristics in the human body to undergo some modifications. These modifications result in a difference in the genetic makeup of the offspring compared to other genes found other people's genetic formation. These changes are made possible by a genetic mutation. A genetic mutation represents an alteration that permanently alters the sequence in DNA. The altercation of the genes due to mutation can have adverse effects on the health of an individual.

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Genetic mutation can occur n various forms. One type of gene mutation is an insertion. Insertion adds nucleotide bases to the DNA sequence. Insertion mutation varies according to size. Insertion can be either a DNA is wrongfully attached to another chain or one chromosome linked to another. The second type of mutation involves deletion. Deletion gene mutation occurs in a situation where the removal of a DNA or chromosome happens. Just as insertion gene mutation, deletion can be either for a single nucleotide or chromosome. The third gene mutation is duplication. In ordinary occasions, a gene from the parent duplicates itself to form an offspring gene. The difference between the normal gene duplication and duplicated gene mutation is that during gene mutation there is an unusual number of duplicated genes. The strange duplication results in more offspring genes than the amount required which eventually results in the modification of the gene. The last type of mutation is known as frameshift. A frameshift mutation can occur either by adding a DNA to a sequence or deleting a DNA from a sequence. The impact is a changed reading from that translates the original gene differently. The resultant gene usually does not perform any function.

Since gene mutation involves the change in genetic makeup, the DNA plays a vital role. Genes are made up of DNA. The deoxyribonucleic acid has information for the development of an organism. During gene mutation, the DNA undergoes some errors as it tries to duplicate its data to its offspring. The genes obtained from gene mutations have their DNA different n some aspects from the original genes. Since RNA copies its information from the DNA, the same changes that occur in DNA during mutations also occur in RNA. Gene mutations have presented a problem for medical practitioners. Recently, there have been innovations in the treatment of gene mutation. The breakthrough enables modifications to an individual's DNA to deal with nutation. The procedure is known as gene therapy. Gene therapy has witnessed the treatment of diseases related to a gene mutation.

In the human body, the human body needs the energy to perform its various functions. The Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the molecule that is responsible for energy transfer within the body. The ATP molecule by use of biochemical means releases the energy required for the contraction of muscles. The ATP is also responsible for transporting energy in chemical form in body cells. As for the calcium ions, they are responsible for regulating the bond that exists between actin and myosin. The relationship existing between actin and myosin divides the ATP molecule into two; adenosine diphosphate which is also known as ADP and inorganic phosphate.