Discuss the basis and variable outcomes of gene mutations

Mutations may be inherited or may arise sponataneously, resulting in distinct differences between individuals. Thus, given that genetic material is the single determinant of phenotypical characteristics, genetic mutatoins are the basis of discontinuous variation.Mutations are the result of a change in the DNA base triplet codons. The result is a change in the transcribed gene, and hence a different final protein being produced following translation. The different types of mutations include: deletions, insertions, substitutions; as well as whole chromosome mutations resulting in aneuploidy (mainly a result of incorrect segregation during meiosis). The outcome of mutations is variable: non-sense mutatoin, forms a stop codon and prematurely truncated protein; mis-sense mutation, forms different amino acid resulting in altered protein structure; a silent mutation, forms the same amino acid and has no effect on the protien.