What is the term for a sudden, stable, and inheritable change in genetic material or DNA sequences of an organism?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Mutation
A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism. Because it changes the genotype, it can also change the phenotype, and it is passed on to the next generation. Along with recombination, mutation is a source of variation in DNA. A change in a single base pair, as in sickle-cell anaemia, is a point mutation. Aneuploidy and polyploidy are different terms: they describe the gain or loss of chromosomes (aneuploidy) or of whole sets of chromosomes (polyploidy), not a change in the DNA sequence itself. Segregation is the separation of the two alleles of a gene into different gametes.
NCERT Extract:
Mutation – “Mutation is a phenomenon which results in alteration of DNA sequences and consequently results in changes in the genotype and the phenotype of an organism. In addition to recombination, mutation is another phenomenon that leads to variation in DNA.”