High School Biology : Understanding Types of Mutation

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Biology

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Example Questions

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Example Question #61 : Genetics Principles

A transition is a mutation that includes a purine mutating to another purine or a pyrimidine mutating to another pyrimidine. 

Which option shows a transition mutation?

Possible Answers:

Cytosine to thymine

Adenine to guanine

Adenine to thymine

Thymine to guanine

Guanine to cytosine

Correct answer:

Adenine to guanine

Explanation:

Given the explanation provided, a transition is a mutation that mutates a purine to another purine, or a pyrimidine to another pyrimidine. The best way to solve is to assign the nucleotide as a purine or pyrimidine. To answer this, you must know that purines include adenine and guanine and pyrimidines include thymine, cytosine, and (in RNA) uracil. 

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