GOLO, SARAH ISABEL T.

DENTISTRY 1
B

WRITTEN WORK: MODULE 9

Explain and illustrate how ultraviolet rays from sunlight is mutagenic.

Genetic Mutations occur when there is an

alteration in the sequences of nucleotides in DNA.
These Genetic Mutations can cause changes in the
appearance or outcome of the offspring. An
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example of a cause for mutations are ultraviolet
(UV) rays.
1. UV ray exposure causes a part of a DNA
where nearby thymines to turn out to be cross-
linked, forming a thymine dimer in which
results to a disruption to the normal base
paring.
2. A DNA repair mechanism called the
Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) then
repairs the disruption by removing the
thymine dimers.

2 3. DNA polymerase fills the gap, which used to

have the thymine dimers by synthesizing a
Removal of new DNA, using the intact strand as a
the
damaged template.
section
4. DNA ligase seals the remaining gap by joining
the old and new DNA.
However, these repairs are not always
perfect and introduces the incorrect nucleotide to
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the sequence leading to a point mutation. People
who have deficiencies in this develop premature
cancer. A deficiency in the nucleotide excision
repair (NER) pathway, which normally corrects UV

4 induced pyrimidine dimers, can result in the cancer

- predisposing condition xero-derma pigmentosum.