A mutation It is an alteration that occurs in the genetic material, that is, the DNA. There are two types of mutations, the genetics and the chromosomal. Chromosomal mutations are also known as chromosomal changes.
Practice your knowledge of mutation with the 10 exercises below.
question 1
Down, Turner, Patau, Edwards and Klinefelter syndromes are known mutations for:
a) genetics
b) euploidies
c) aneuploidies
d) plastid
e) haploids
Right answer: letter C - aneuploidies.
There are two types of chromosomal mutations, or chromosomal alterations, euploidies and aneuploidies.
In the case of the alterations mentioned (Down, Turner, Patau, Edwards and Klinefelter syndromes) they are aneuploidies, because there is a change in one of the existing pairs of chromosomes, and not in all 23 pairs.
question 2
Patau syndrome is also known for:
a) trisomy 13
b) trisomy of chromosome 21
c) chromosome 18 disomy
d) trisomy 22
e) X chromosome disomy in males
Right answer: letter a - Trisomy of chromosome 13.
Trisomy is characterized by the presence of three chromosomes instead of two. All chromosomes are arranged in pairs, that is, one received from the mother and one from the father. Patau syndrome is, therefore, an aneuploidy-type chromosomal alteration, as there was alteration in only one pair, the 13th.
question 3
Euploidies are chromosomal alterations or mutations that occur in all pairs, and may be, for example, triplody or tetraploidy.
Based on the excerpt, mark the correct option.
a) They generate malformations in animals
b) They are common in plants and favor their adaptation and vigor
c) They are not harmful to humans
d) Checks the birth of children with different syndromes
e) Produce varied physical limitations in the individual
Right answer: letter B - They are common in plants and favor their adaptation and vigor.
This type of chromosomal alteration is known as euploidy, that is, all chromosomes are altered. For example, a human individual when receiving 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 from the mother becomes a diploid being, that is, 2n. In a chromosomal mutation of the euploidy type, this embryo will be, for example, 3n or triploid.
This type of situation is unfeasible for the development of the organism. Animals in general do not resist this type of alteration, they are spontaneously aborted. However, in plants, polyploidy (triploidy, tetraploidy, etc.) is very important for their evolutionary advances and good adaptation to environments, so they are very common.question 4
The types of structural chromosomal alterations are:
a) duplication, error, translocation, and reversal
b) deficiency, duplication, inversion and repetition
c) duplication, deficiency, translocation and reallocation
d) deficiency, inversion, reversal and translocation
e) deficiency, duplication, translocation and inversion
Right answer: letter e - deficiency, duplication, translocation and inversion.
These alterations are structural, as they occur in some part of the body of the chromosome, that is, in its structure.
* Disability: there is a loss of a fragment of one of the chromosomes;
* Duplication: as the name suggests, a fragment of the chromosomes is repeated;* Translocation: a part of a chromosome is exchanged between non-homologous (different, from another pair) chromosomes;
* inversion: when a sequence of alleles reverses along the chromosome band.
question 5
When there is a change in the sequence of nitrogenous bases in the gene that does not alter the final synthesis of the amino acid, this mutation is known as:
a) inversion
b) translocation
c) deletion
d) silent
e) insertion
Right answer: letter D - silent.
In this case, even with a change in the nitrogenous base, the final product is the same amino acid that would have been produced without the change. Therefore, it is a silent mutation, as there is no change in the phenotype, that is, in the physical characteristic.
question 6
When substitution, or insertion, or deletion occurs, it says that it occurs:
a) a structural mutation
b) a gene mutation
c) a chromosomal mutation
d) a silent mutation
e) an external mutation
Right answer: letter B - a gene mutation.
Gene mutations occur changes in the nitrogenous bases along the genetic material, the DNA. Thus, the situations mentioned in the question are occurrences of this model, the gene mutation.
question 7
Examples of causes of mutation are:
a) consumption of genetically modified foods
b) excessive physical activity
c) little exposure to solar radiation
d) excessive exposure to fluorescent light
e) exposure to radiation, chemicals and errors during DNA replication
Right answer: letter e - exposure to radiation, chemicals and errors during DNA replication.
Exposure to radiation and chemical substances are factors with potential mutagenicity, that is, they can alter DNA, and are considered external. Errors in cell division, in the DNA replication phase, are considered internal alterations. All of them can generate mutations of some kind.
question 8
Which of the following statements about mutations is true?
a) Mutations can be beneficial, harmful or neutral for organisms
b) All mutations are caused by environmental factors
c) Mutation is a process that occurs only in plants
d) All mutations are harmful to organisms
e) Mutation is not considered a valid argument in neo-Darwinism
Right answer: letter a - Mutations can be beneficial, harmful or neutral for organisms.
Within the theory of modern evolution, neo-Darwinism, mutation is a valid argument used to justify speciation and formation of new characteristics over time. Therefore, mutations are not always harmful. They can be null, such as the silent one, or harmful, such as structural chromosomal alterations.
question 9
What is a mutation?
a) A type of asexual reproduction
b) A permanent change in the genetic code of an organism
c) An insignificant change in the genetic code
d) The process by which new genes are created
e) Process necessarily external to the organism to promote beneficial transformations
Right answer: letter B - A permanent change in the genetic code of an organism.
When any alteration occurs in the DNA, either by gene mutation or chromosomal mutation, it will be permanent.
question 10
Which of the following terms describes a mutation that involves the exchange of a single nucleotide for another in DNA?
a) Translocation
b) deletion
c) Insertion
d) Substitution
e) Disability
Right answer: letter D - Replacement.
As the name suggests, a nucleotide change is a type of substitution mutation.
Know more:
- Mutation;
- Chromosomes: what are they?;
- genetic diseases;
- gene recombination;
- patau syndrome;
- genetic exercises;
Bibliographic references
UZUNIAN, A.; BIRNER, E. Biology: single volume. 3rd ed. So Paulo: Harbra, 2008.
CASTILHO, Rubens. Mutation questions: practice and understand.All Matter, [n.d.]. Available in: https://www.todamateria.com.br/exercicios-sobre-mutacao/. Access at:
See too
- Mutation
- genetic diseases
- Exercises on evolution
- exercises about meiosis
- DNA exercises
- Biology Questions in the Enem
- Text interpretation exercises
- Exercises of the first law of thermodynamics