Can a point mutation be inherited?
1 Answer
Jun 25, 2016
Yes, if the mutation is in the DNA of reproductive cells.
Explanation:
Any mutation in the DNA of reproductive cells -egg cells or sprem cells- can be passed on to the next generation. The inheritence of point mutations is actually very comon (many point mutations are harmless).
When point mutations persist and occur in more than 1% of the general population, they are called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP's). They can be used to track inheritance of diseases within families.
