A blue lobster (one in two million), an example of a genuine mutant.

A mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a sudden structural change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the wildtype. In an organism or individual, the new character or trait may or may not be trivial, may occasionally be beneficial, but will usually result in either a genetic disorder or have no phenotypic effect whatsoever. The natural occurrence of genetic mutations is integral to the process of evolution. A more general term for mutant is sport, which includes individuals who vary from type due to mutation, as well as those who vary from type due to other reasons. The idea of a mutant is a common trope in comic books and science fiction. ... A mutant is a biological entity which has undergone a change in its genetic structure. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 1020 KB) Blue American lobster (Homarus americanus). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 1020 KB) Blue American lobster (Homarus americanus). ... Binomial name Homarus americanus H. Milne-Edwards, 1837 The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is a species of lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America. ... It has been suggested that mutant be merged into this article or section. ... The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. ... For a non-technical introduction to the topic, see Introduction to Genetics. ... Figure 1: A representation of a condensed eukaryotic chromosome, as seen during cell division. ... In biology, a trait or character is a genetically inherited feature of an organism. ... Look up trivia on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A genetic disorder is a disease caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes. ... The phenotype of an individual organism is either its total physical appearance and constitution, or a specific manifestation of a trait, such as size or eye color, that varies between individuals. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ...

A deformed banana, probably a developmental abnormality,not a mutant.

Developmental abnormalities not due to genetic change, are frequently referred to as mutants by non-experts. The difference between a developmental abnormality and a mutation is that the former is non-hereditable as the DNA is unchanged. Such abnormalities include extra limbs and occur when a genetically normal embryo develops abnormally. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 766 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Information/Description = A deformed banana Source = I took this myself Date = 5th November 2004 Author = Jason Ruck I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 766 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Information/Description = A deformed banana Source = I took this myself Date = 5th November 2004 Author = Jason Ruck I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Occasionally, a body cell in a healthy organism may acquire a mutation caused by a genetic error occurring during routine cell division. This is also known as a "somatic mutation." Such an error may result in cancer. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

Creatures with visibly obvious mutations are often regarded as objects of curiosity. Examples include rare blue lobsters.^[1] albinos of many species^[2][3] and animals with extra digits.^[4] A well-known mutation in fruit flies causes the flies to have legs in place of antennas.^[5] An American aquarium even displays what it calls a "double mutant" snake that is both albino and has two heads^[6], though calling this a double mutation is a misnomer as the two-headed condition is a developmental abnormality and not a genetic mutation. In their native North Atlantic Ocean, the color of live lobsters varies somewhat, but in general they are a dark blue-green, with spots. ... Albinism is a genetic condition resulting in a lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. ... This article is about the human congenital disorder (disease). ... Binomial name Meigen, 1830[1] Drosophila melanogaster (from the Greek for black-bellied dew-lover) is a two-winged insect that belongs to the Diptera, the order of the flies. ... Heracles and the Lernaean Hydra by Gustave Moreau: The Hydra is perhaps the best known mythological multi-headed animal, also popularised in many fantasy settings. ...

Similarly striking human mutations also occur occasionally. People who are completely covered in a fur-like coat of hair are one example (see hypertrichosis). There are also cases of newborn babies having an extended tailbone or a sixth finger. Purely internal, less obvious mutations are more common; a small fraction of these cause serious medical conditions or death. (The ratio is probably under 1.5%, as only about 1.5% of the genome encodes protein genes)^[7] Hypertrichosis is a medical term, also known as Wolfitis, referring to a condition of excessive body hair. ... A scorpion tail The tail is the section at the rear end of an animals body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. ... Sexdactyly is a genetic condition in which a person has six fingers on one or both hands, or six toes on one or both feet. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...

Wild type

Wild type (sometimes written wildtype, wild-type or +) is the genetic term used in texts for the typical form of an organism, strain, gene, or characteristic as it was first observed in nature. ^[8][9]. Wild type refers to the most common phenotype in the natural population, however this may, over a period of time, be replaced by a mutant form, which then becomes the new wildtype. The phenotype can be dominant or recessive. Naturally occurring mutant phenotypes play a role in evolution. The word dominant has several possible meanings: In music theory, the dominant or dominant note (second most important) of a key is that which is a perfect fifth above the tonic; in just intonation the note whose pitch is 1. ... In genetics, the term recessive gene refers to an allele that causes a phenotype (visible or detectable characteristic) that is only seen in a homozygous genotype (an organism that has two copies of the same allele). ...

References

1. ^ WESH NBC affiliate news report
2. ^ Picture of Snowflake, a white ape
3. ^ Pictures of albino (and other) reptiles
4. ^ Polydactyly, pictured in cats
5. ^ Memorial University of Newfoundland page with picture, paragraph about antennapedia mutant flies
6. ^ BBC news report World Aquarium in St. Louis auctioning its albino two-headed rat snake. (The snake did not fetch enough money and was ultimately not sold)].
7. ^ International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium (2001). "Initial sequencing and analysis of the human genome.". Nature 409 (6822): 860-921. PMID 11237011.  [1]
8. ^ Robinson Roy (1999), "Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians", Butterworth Heinemann, ISBN 0-7506-4069-3
9. ^ http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/glossary/tuvwxyz.htm