How do mutations affect an organism?

• A. Mutations can lead to changes in the phenotype, potentially causing beneficial, neutral, or harmful effects.
• B. Mutations always result in harmful effects on the organism.
• C. Mutations only occur in somatic cells and do not affect the organism's offspring.
• D. Mutations are always beneficial and lead to improved traits in the organism.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that mutations are changes in the DNA sequence of an organism's genome. These changes can occur due to errors during DNA replication or as a result of environmental factors.
2. Recognize that mutations can occur in any cell of the organism, including somatic (body) cells and germ (reproductive) cells. Mutations in germ cells can be passed on to offspring, while those in somatic cells affect only the individual.
3. Consider the effects of mutations on the phenotype, which is the observable characteristics of an organism. Mutations can lead to changes in proteins that may alter an organism's traits.
4. Evaluate the potential outcomes of mutations: they can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful. Beneficial mutations may confer an advantage, neutral mutations have no effect, and harmful mutations can lead to diseases or malfunctions.
5. Acknowledge that the impact of a mutation depends on various factors, including the specific gene affected, the type of mutation, and the environment in which the organism lives. Not all mutations are harmful, and some can be advantageous or have no noticeable effect.