2006-07-13 01:36:02 · 8 answers · asked by k.akbar_baig1980 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Scientifically mutation is the result of a change in the DNA sequence.
Mutations occur frequently in adult human cells - many of these are corrected by DNA repair enzymes, others are accumulated during life.
The most well-known adult mutations are those that give rise to cancer. These can be caused by many chemicals and of course radiation.
If you are talking about the a kind of mutation as you see in the X-men then no, that is impossible. An adult mutation can only affect cells that develop or grow after the mutation occurs (hence the growth of cancer), whereas your entire adult body is already made by that stage.
2006-07-13 05:23:51 · answer #1 · answered by the last ninja 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Firstly Down Syndrome is NOT a mutation!
Secondly, if a mutation occurs in an adult it will be in a reproductive cell and not show up until a following generation: a genetic disorder like hemophilia is on the X chromosome and will show up fast in a male offspring (50% chance), others may take longer.
2006-07-15 01:51:38 · answer #2 · answered by myrtguy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not as easy as you think. Mutation can be caused by radiation but it is just cancer mutation
The mutation I think your talking about has to affect randomly in other people. They cannot get mutations like that, it is a 1 in 1 million chance that would happen. Like comparing to the mutation of a virus
2006-07-13 08:40:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it possible to intentionally create a specific mutation in an adult human? no. not yet anyways, that is the goal of gene therapy and there have not been any trully successful human gene therapy trials to date.
But mutations in our cells occurr everytime a cell divides so in that sense it is possible to create a mutation in an adult human.
2006-07-13 15:09:12 · answer #4 · answered by xoil1321321432423 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well if you wish to call abnormalities in humans due radioactivity or a virus mutancy then yes humans can be mutated but the do not become sumer humans like X-Men or spiderman
2006-07-13 08:42:44 · answer #5 · answered by Raveesh 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Just ask the children and grandchildren (or lack thereof) of those who were at the receiving end of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
2006-07-13 12:39:22 · answer #6 · answered by Vango 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
down syndrome is a mutation, it happens all the time.
2006-07-13 08:46:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. but those would generally be localised mutation.
you know moles - those are mutations.
2006-07-13 08:39:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋