What is the Difference Between Mutation and Recombination?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Mutation and recombination are both processes that result in changes to a genome, but they are unrelated and have distinct differences:
- Mutation
- A mutation is a heritable, irreversible alteration in the nucleotide sequence of a gene or chromosome.
- It can be caused by mistakes in DNA replication or by environmental mutagens.
- Mutations are of three types: point mutations, frameshift mutations, and chromosomal mutations.
- Most mutations are small-scale changes and can have a minor impact on the genome.
- Recombination
- Recombination is the exchange of DNA strands that results in novel nucleotide rearrangements.
- It occurs during the preparation of gametes and can be facilitated by homologous recombination, site-specific recombination, and transposition.
- Recombination is a large-scale reorganization of the genome and can lead to the evolution of species.
- It is the primary evolutionary force and contributes significantly to genetic variety and species evolution.
In summary, mutation is a change in the nucleotide sequence of a genome, while recombination is the rearrangement of DNA strands. Mutations are generally small-scale, heritable changes, whereas recombination is a large-scale reorganization of the genome that contributes to species evolution.
Comparative Table: Mutation vs Recombination
Here is a table highlighting the differences between mutation and recombination:
Feature | Mutation | Recombination |
---|---|---|
Definition | A heritable, irreversible alteration in the nucleotide sequence of a gene or chromosome. | The exchange of DNA strands that results in novel nucleotide rearrangements. |
Types | Point mutations, frameshift mutations, and chromosomal mutations. | Homologous recombination, site-specific recombination, and transposition. |
Occurrence | Can be caused by mistakes in DNA replication or environmental mutagens. | Occurs during the preparation of gametes. |
Genetic Change | Causes small-scale alterations to the genome. | Results in large-scale reorganization of the genome. |
Genetic Variation | Generates new alleles, bringing genetic variety to a certain population. | Contributes to the evolution of a species by generating species-specific variances in DNA sequences. |
Contribution to Evolution | Less contribution to the evolution. | The primary evolutionary force. |
Mutation is a heritable, irreversible alteration in the nucleotide sequence of a gene or chromosome, while recombination is the exchange of DNA strands that results in novel nucleotide rearrangements. Mutations can be caused by mistakes in DNA replication or environmental mutagens and cause small-scale alterations to the genome. On the other hand, recombination occurs during the preparation of gametes and results in large-scale reorganization of the genome, contributing to the evolution of a species.
- Complementation vs Recombination
- Linkage vs Recombination
- Recombination vs Crossing Over
- Somatic Hypermutation vs V(D)J Recombination
- Mutation vs Mutagen
- Gene Mutation vs Chromosome Mutation
- Homologous Recombination vs Non-homologous Recombination
- Transformants vs Recombinants
- Crossover Frequency vs Recombination Frequency
- Homologous Recombination vs Site-Specific Recombination
- DNA Damage vs Mutation
- SNP vs Mutation
- Mutation vs Polymorphism
- Point Mutation vs Chromosomal Mutation
- Recombinant vs Nonrecombinant
- Interchromosomal vs Intrachromosomal Recombination
- Germline Mutation vs Somatic Mutation
- Nondisjunction vs Translocation Mutations
- Genetic Engineering vs Recombinant DNA Technology