What is the Difference Between Wild Type and Mutant Type?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The terms "wild type" and "mutant type" refer to the phenotypes of organisms, with the wild type being the normal phenotype generally found in a natural population of organisms, while the mutant type is an individual with a phenotype that differs from the normal phenotype.
- Wild type: This is the typical form of a species as it occurs in nature, and the wild type alleles are indicated with a "+" superscript. Wild type traits are usually the most frequently occurring genes in a population.
- Mutant type: This is an individual with a phenotype that differs from the normal phenotype due to one or more mutations in its genes. Mutant alleles can vary greatly and may even become the wild type if a genetic shift occurs within the population.
For example, in Drosophila (fruit flies), wild-type individuals have normal wings, while mutant individuals may have abnormal wing sizes or shapes due to mutations in the genes related to wing development. Research involving the manipulation of wild-type alleles and understanding the interactions between wild-type and mutant phenotypes has applications in various fields, including fighting diseases and commercial food production.
Comparative Table: Wild Type vs Mutant Type
The difference between wild type and mutant type lies in the phenotype and genotype of the organisms. Here is a table summarizing the differences:
| Feature | Wild Type | Mutant Type |
|---|---|---|
| Phenotype | Refers to the typical or naturally occurring form of a species | Refers to a variant or an individual with a phenotype that differs from the normal phenotype |
| Genotype | Homozygous or heterozygous for wild-type alleles | Homozygous or heterozygous for mutant alleles |
| Inheritance Pattern | Wild-type alleles can be dominant or recessive, depending on the specific gene | Mutant alleles can be dominant or recessive, depending on the specific gene |
| Frequency in Population | Wild type is present in the majority of the population | Mutant type is naturally present in only a small portion of the population |
For example, in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies), wild-type flies have normal wing shape and size, while mutant flies may have abnormal wing shapes or sizes due to specific mutations in their genes.
- Mutation vs Polymorphism
- Mutation vs Mutagen
- Genotype vs Phenotype
- Feral vs Wild
- Species vs Strain
- Original vs Mutated Sequences
- Type vs Kind
- Parental Type vs Recombinant Type Chromosomes
- SNP vs Mutation
- Wild Animals vs Domestic Animals
- Allele vs Genotype
- Mutation vs Recombination
- Trait Theory vs Type Theory
- Gene vs Trait
- Transgenic vs Knockout Mice
- Allele vs Trait
- Cell Line Cell Strain vs Cell Type
- Clone vs Strain
- Transformants vs Recombinants