14.

3 Induced Mutations Arise from DNA Damage Caused By Chemicals &

Radiations
Mutagens- any agent that causes an increase in the spontaneous rate of
mutation
1. Base Analogs
-compounds that can substitute for purine or pyrimidine during nucleic
acid biosynthesis
-Example: 5-bromo-uricil (5-BU)
Derivative of uracil
Behaves as thymine analog

2. Alkalyting, Intercalating, and Adduct-Forming Agents

- human-made chemicals that can alter the structure of the DNA
A.) Alkalyting agent
-alter the base pairing of the nucleotides
-Ethylmethane sulfunate (EMS)- alkylates the keto groups in the
number 6 position of Guanine & in the number 4 position of
Thymine
-Example: 6-ethylguanine
Analog of adenine and pairs with thymine

B.)Intercalating Agents
- chemicals that can wedge between the base pairs of DNA
-when bound between base pairs, they can distort and unwind DNA
-these changes affects many function like transcription, replication
and repair
C.) Adduct-forming agents
-binds to DNA, altering its conformation and interfering with
replication and repair
-Examples: Acetaldehyde (component of cigarette smoke)
Hetrocyclic amines (cancer-causing chemicals created in
cooking meat)
3.) Ultraviolet Light
- Radiation that has potential to distrupt organic molecules
-Effect: creation of Pyrimidine dimers which distort DNA conformation and
inhibits normal replication

4.) Ionizing Radiation

- Radiation that carries enough energy to lubricate electrons from atoms or
molecules, thereby ionizing them
- X-rays, Gamma rays, and cosmic rays penetrates deeply into tissues,
causing ionization of the molecules
- creates free radicals- chemical species containing one or more unpaired
electrons
Can affect genetic materials by altering purines and
pyrimidine in DNA, breaking phosphodiester bonds,
disrupting integrity of chromosomes and producing
chromosomal aberrations