What are mutagens?

Answer 1

A mutagen is a substance that induces (makes) mutations in DNA. It does this randomly. For example, UV light from the sun is a well known mutagen because it causes mutations in OUR DNA that can lead to cancer. We can also use that to our advantage when we want to study mutations.
Mutations can do many things other than cause cancer too. A mutation in a gene will alter the gene product in many ways, 2 examples: it can stop a gene product from being made, it can alter the structure of the gene product so it no longer functions or it's function is reduced. There are many other things that can happen but these are pretty easy to understand :-)

Answer 2

As others have said, a mutagen is something that will cause a change the sequence of DNA. These changes corrupt the genetic information and can lead to cells that are less healthy and, in some cases, can lead our normal cells to become tumor or cancer cells.

Examples of mutagens?
UV light (a fraction of the sun's radiation) is one that works, in part, by forming bonds between neighboring thymines (Ts) in DNA.

X rays are powerful mutagens, able to break the bonds between base and phosphodiester backbone, and bonds of the phosphodiester backbone itself.

Proflavin, ethidium bromide and other 'intercalating agents' slip between stacked bases and distort the structure of the DNA helix, leading to errors when the DNA strand is replicated.

5-bromouracil and 2-aminopurine are compounds that vaguely resemble the normal bases and can therefore be incorporated into newly synthesized DNA where they confuse the message that they interupt.

And there are compounds such as nitrogen mustard -- and many others that are occur at low levels in food we eat and the air we breathe -- that get chemically stuck onto the DNA molecule and disrupt its ability to carry accurate information.

Answer 3

In biology, a mutagen (Latin, literally origin of change) is an agent that changes the genetic information (usually DNA) of an organism and thus increases the number of mutations above the natural background level.

Mutagens are usually chemical compounds or ionizing radiation.

Answer 4

The substances which can induce mutation are called mutagens.

Answer 5

mutagens are chemicals that can cause mutations in the gene/dna/chromosomes of cells. Mutations can lead to cancer, birth defects, not good.

Answer 6

Mutagens are agents which cause mutations. Related, teratogens are agents which cause birth defects (gr. lit. "monster forming")

Answer 7

An agent that can increase the chances of a mutation