Various tests have been devised for detecting spontaneous mutations in a population. Some of them are: 1. Replica Plating 2. Mutation Rates in Maize Endosperm and Drosophila 3. Detection of Mutations in Micro-Organisms. Test # 1. Replica Plating: In 1946 Luria and Delbrueck noticed one of the first cases of spontaneous mutation in a bacterial population. When E. coli cells [...]
In this article we will discuss about the history and induction of mutations. History of Mutation: The sudden heritable changes in genes, other than those due to Mendelian segregation and recombination constitute mutations. The idea of mutation first originated from observations of a Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries (in the 1880's) on variations in plants of Oenothera lamarckiana (evening primrose) [...]
In this article we will discuss about the development of tumour suppressor genes. Inactivation of tumour suppressor genes also contributes to development of tumours. Normally, tumour suppressor genes act to inhibit cell proliferation and tumour development. When these genes are inactivated or lost they lead to abnormal proliferation of tumour cells. The first tumour suppressor gene was identified through studies [...]