3.

06 Mutations

Describe how mutations lead to genetic variation:

Mutations are changes in DNA which can effect the Genetic variation because
genetic variation controls the variety of genes in the population of organisms,
providing genetic material for the natural selection.
Which appears to be more dangerous: the BRC1 or BRC2 mutation?
The BRC1 mutation appears to be more dangerous because of the percentage of
deaths being 18, compared to the percentage of deaths with BRC1 being 2.8 percent.
Analyze a women's risk of dying of cancer if she carries a mutated BRC1 gene:
A women's risk of dying of cancer is she carries a mutated BRC1 gene are higher than
if she carries a BRC2 gene, this is if she inherits a harmful mutation in the BRC1 gene.
In 2007 there were 89 patients for BRC1 with 16 deaths, totaling 18 percent of the 89
died.
How do heredity and inheritance relate to the data presented in these charts?
Hereditary and inheritance relate to this chart because all the women that were
studied in the chart had family history of breast cancer, meaning they most likely
inherited the cancer through genes that were passed on from a on of their family
members.
What data would you need to see in order to draw conclusions about the
effectiveness of preventive surgeries?
You would need to do lots of accurate research, you would need to see the outcome
of many different peoples results to these preventative surgeries and compare these
results, then go onto deciding if these surgeries were effective or not at preventing
cancer.
What does the age of diagnosis tell you about the mutation?
The average age of diagnosis is found between the ages of 40 and 50, this tells me
that this type of cancer is more commonly diagnosed between these ages.
Explain how breast-cancer genes are still present in the population, despite cancer-
related surgeries and death:
Breast cancer is hereditary, meaning it can be passed on through people in a family.
If someone does not realize they have cancer and therefore does not catch the signs
and symptoms before it's too late then the person might have kids, spreading the
gene onto their offspring, this is how breast-cancer genes are still present in the
population.