CUET Preparation Today
Which of the following is a property of genetic material ? |
It should be stable enough to not change during different stages of the life cycle. It must degrade easily when exposed to heat. It should mutate rapidly in response to environmental changes. It must be structurally unstable to allow rapid adaptation. |
It should be stable enough to not change during different stages of the life cycle. |
The correct answer is Option (1) → It should be stable enough to not change during different stages of the life cycle. The genetic material should be stable enough not to change with different stages of life cycle, age or with change in physiology of the organism. Genetic material, whether DNA or RNA, must be stable to accurately store and transmit genetic information across generations. Stability is crucial because it ensures that the genetic instructions remain consistent throughout the life cycle and under different physiological conditions. If genetic material changed frequently or degraded easily, as suggested by Options 2 and 4, it would lead to errors in replication and function, disrupting the normal biological processes. Although mutations (Option 3) are necessary for evolution and adaptation, they occur at a low rate to prevent harmful effects. Stability ensures that most genetic information remains intact, while rare mutations provide variation necessary for evolution. Therefore, stability, as stated in Option 1, is the most essential property of genetic material. |
