Why are the effects of most mutations not observed?
A - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 5 - 2020 - Paper 4
Question 5
Why are the effects of most mutations not observed?
A. Most mutations do not affect the genotype or phenotype.
B. Most mutations do not affect the phenotype.
C. Muta... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Why are the effects of most mutations not observed?
A - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 5 - 2020 - Paper 4
Step 1
A. Most mutations do not affect the genotype or phenotype.
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Answer
While this statement is true in some contexts, it isn't specific to the observation of effects. We need to focus on observations related to the phenotype.
Step 2
B. Most mutations do not affect the phenotype.
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Answer
This statement accurately captures the reason why most mutations go unobserved. Many mutations occur in non-coding regions of DNA or result in changes that do not alter the physical traits of an organism.
Step 3
C. Mutations mainly affect internal body processes.
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Although some mutations might have internal effects, it doesn't fully explain why their effects are not observed externally.
Step 4
D. Mutations often kill the organism.
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This is an extreme view. While some mutations can be lethal, most do not lead to the death of an organism and thus do not account for the lack of observation.
