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Mutations can be beneficial when they give an organism a characteristic that helps it thrive in its environment. A mutation that makes a prey animal faster or more easily camouflaged might be an example. Or a mutation that makes a predator stronger, or one that allows a plant to more easily withstand drought. They promote positive diversity within their species in a way that is beneficial to survival.

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11y ago
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14y ago

A mutation can benefit an organism if it helps it survive in its environnment. For example, let's say a bug is normally white and lives on white barked trees. Suddenly a volcano explodes and the ashes coat the tree trunks turing the trees black. If a white bug has a mutation and turns black it will be able to survive because it can blend into its background or environment. All of the white bugs will be eaten eventually because they are easier to spot and capture. This is all because of Darwin's theory of natural selection.

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12y ago

It all goes back to what Darwin says : natural selection and survival of the fittest. Say there has been a catastrophe and a certain species are dying out. This is because there isn't enough variation. The mutation may help it to withstand whatever this catastrophe was doing.

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13y ago

If the mutation leads to a beneficial phenotype, or confers some sort of advantage to the organism - then having the mutation would be better than the normal gene.

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12y ago

They make a species diverse

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Q: How can mutations be beneficial to organisms?
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Does inducing mutations produce organisms with beneficial traits?

Inducing mutations can result in organisms with beneficial traits, as some mutations may lead to new desirable characteristics. However, the majority of mutations are neutral or harmful, so the chances of producing a beneficial trait are relatively low. Additionally, the process of inducing mutations can also introduce unwanted genetic changes that may negatively impact the organism.


What is the effect of mutations in living organisms?

Mutations can have various effects on living organisms, ranging from no visible impact to causing genetic disorders or changes in physical traits. Beneficial mutations can lead to evolution and adaptation, while harmful mutations can reduce an organism's fitness or survival. The specific impact of a mutation depends on factors such as its location in the genome and the nature of the genetic change.


What are some examples of mutations that benefited an organism?

Examples of beneficial mutations include the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, the ability of some individuals to digest lactose in adulthood, and the evolution of pesticide resistance in insects. These mutations provided a survival advantage to the organisms carrying them in their respective environments.


Are genetic mutations always harmful to the individual?

Genetic mutations are not always harmful to the individual. A few may be beneficial.


Are all mutation harmful?

No, not all mutations are harmful. Some mutations may result in new traits that provide a survival advantage, while others may have no effect on an organism's fitness. Additionally, some mutations are neutral and do not impact an organism's health or survival.

Related questions

Is 'mutations are beneficial to organisms' a true statement about mutations?

Not always. Mutations can have either beneficial, neutral, or harmful effects on organisms. Whether a mutation is beneficial or not depends on how it impacts the organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.


Does inducing mutations produce organisms with beneficial traits?

Inducing mutations can result in organisms with beneficial traits, as some mutations may lead to new desirable characteristics. However, the majority of mutations are neutral or harmful, so the chances of producing a beneficial trait are relatively low. Additionally, the process of inducing mutations can also introduce unwanted genetic changes that may negatively impact the organism.


De Vries believed the process of evolution was driven by what?

Mutations. He was the father of saltation. The big jump idea that organisms could make large morphological changes by beneficial mutations all at once.


What is the effect of mutations in living organisms?

Mutations can have various effects on living organisms, ranging from no visible impact to causing genetic disorders or changes in physical traits. Beneficial mutations can lead to evolution and adaptation, while harmful mutations can reduce an organism's fitness or survival. The specific impact of a mutation depends on factors such as its location in the genome and the nature of the genetic change.


Why are mutations importasnt to the modern theory of evolution?

Without beneficial mutations leading to beneficial variation there would be no natural selection on the individual organism, outside of sexual recombination, which would mean no change in allele frequency over time leading to no evolution. Fortunately, that is never the case in nature and mutations lead to variation and adaptive change in the organisms under selection pressure.


What are some examples of mutations that benefited an organism?

Examples of beneficial mutations include the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, the ability of some individuals to digest lactose in adulthood, and the evolution of pesticide resistance in insects. These mutations provided a survival advantage to the organisms carrying them in their respective environments.


Natural selection is due to?

beneficial mutations


What are the occasional mistakes in copying DNA called and why are they significant for evolutionary change?

Mutations. They, when beneficial, provide variations of organisms genomes for natural selection. Beneficial mutations may confer a slight reproductive advantage to the organism so that genes " promoted " into the next generation change the allele frequency of the population causing evolution.


How mutations can affect organisms?

It depends on if it is in the germ line or in a somatic Cell. In the germ line a mutation can cause birth defects or lethal mutations. In somatic Cells it can cause cancer. The Genetic Mutation will have either of these effects: either beneficial or detrimental.


What is beneficial mutations?

Well, there is no specific type of mutation that is beneficial. They can be harmful, helpful, or have no effect at all.


Are genetic mutations always harmful to the individual?

Genetic mutations are not always harmful to the individual. A few may be beneficial.


How can genetic mutations support macro-evolution?

Genetic mutations can introduce new variations in organisms, which can drive evolutionary changes over time. Accumulation of beneficial mutations through natural selection can lead to the emergence of new traits and species, supporting macro-evolution. Mutations provide the genetic diversity necessary for populations to adapt to changing environments and ultimately evolve into different species.