DNA replication is carefully controlled to preserve the genetic information. However, changes in the genome do sometimes occur. These changes are known as mutations.
Part of Human BiologyHuman Cells
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Chromosome structure mutations are alterations that affect whole chromosomes and whole genes rather than just individual nucleotides.
These mutations result from errors in cell division that cause a section of a chromosome to break off, be duplicated or move onto another chromosome.
Chromosome structure mutations can be one of four types:
Chromosome mutations are often lethal as the chromosome structure is altered.
Normal chromosome structure.
Deletion, where the genes of a chromosome are lost.
Translocation, genes from a chromosome break off and bind to another.
Duplication, where genes are copied and inserted into the chromosome.
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