Any Mutation That Increases the Risk of Disease in an Individual

Question

Any mutation that increases the risk of disease in an individual is known as a:
A)transmission mutation.
B)somatic mutation.
C)genetic load.
D)genetic risk factor.
E)predisposition factor.

Accepted Answer

A mutation that increases the risk of disease is called a genetic risk factor. The other options do not accurately describe this type of mutation. A transmission mutation is a type of mutation that is passed down from one generation to another. A somatic mutation occurs in a cell that is not a germ cell (i.e. a cell that will not contribute to offspring). Genetic load refers to the burden of deleterious mutations in a population. Predisposition factor is an alternative term that can also refer to genetic risk factors.