Mutations of Penicillium notatum When Introduced to Ultraviolet Radiation in Different Environments
Introduction
DNA is composed of two strands composed of polynucleotides arranged in a double helix formation composed of four nucleotide subunits: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Each base must form a hydrogen bond with its respective compatible base, therefore adenine always bonds with thymine and guanine always bonds with cytosine. DNA is used to transfer genetic information to be able to duplicate a cell completely and successfully(6). Mutations occur when the replication of DNA strands result in misplacement of the bases A, T, G, and C. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is important to the human absorption …show more content…
Although not exposed to the UV radiation, the control did contain mutations which are due to the naturally occurring mutations from evolution. Over years all DNA form mutations and these are what generate different forms of certain organisms. In the experiment, the development of mutations on the control and experimental plates, prove that UV light does not target particular spores for mutations, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology mutations occur randomly, however they can be affected by the environment, as seen in this experiment. In this experiment exposing the Penicillium notatum to UV the likelihood of mutations increased, but some or most mutations could have been a result of random inherited mutations. The experimental plate exposed to UV radiation had 30% mutated spores, and it is difficult to differentiate between a normal wild-type colony to that of a mutated colony, therefore making it possible that a wild-type could actually be a UV induced mutation. DNA is affected by UV through pyrimidine dimers which result in an incorrect sequence of the DNA bases. For instance, a common effect is the bonding of two thymine bases of the DNA resulting in a thymine dimer. Although the most common effects of UV radiation are physical, there can be adverse unseen effects. The most common unseen effect is the suppression of the immune response system of an
Introduction
DNA is composed of two strands composed of polynucleotides arranged in a double helix formation composed of four nucleotide subunits: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Each base must form a hydrogen bond with its respective compatible base, therefore adenine always bonds with thymine and guanine always bonds with cytosine. DNA is used to transfer genetic information to be able to duplicate a cell completely and successfully(6). Mutations occur when the replication of DNA strands result in misplacement of the bases A, T, G, and C. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is important to the human absorption …show more content…
Although not exposed to the UV radiation, the control did contain mutations which are due to the naturally occurring mutations from evolution. Over years all DNA form mutations and these are what generate different forms of certain organisms. In the experiment, the development of mutations on the control and experimental plates, prove that UV light does not target particular spores for mutations, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology mutations occur randomly, however they can be affected by the environment, as seen in this experiment. In this experiment exposing the Penicillium notatum to UV the likelihood of mutations increased, but some or most mutations could have been a result of random inherited mutations. The experimental plate exposed to UV radiation had 30% mutated spores, and it is difficult to differentiate between a normal wild-type colony to that of a mutated colony, therefore making it possible that a wild-type could actually be a UV induced mutation. DNA is affected by UV through pyrimidine dimers which result in an incorrect sequence of the DNA bases. For instance, a common effect is the bonding of two thymine bases of the DNA resulting in a thymine dimer. Although the most common effects of UV radiation are physical, there can be adverse unseen effects. The most common unseen effect is the suppression of the immune response system of an