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DNA Damage and Mutations

Topic

  • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  • DNA & RNA
  • Genetics
  • Genetic Disease
  • Mutations

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Animations

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:01:07
Saved By
19 Users
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View in Spanish

Description

This animation shows how mutations can arise when DNA is damaged.

DNA can be damaged by radiation and reactive molecules, such as free radicals. As discussed in the animation, this damage may create mutations by chemically changing the DNA. Most mutations are corrected by DNA repair processes in the cell. In rare cases, however, mutations can accumulate and cause genetic diseases such as cancer.

Depending on students’ background, it may be helpful to pause the animation at various points to discuss different structures or molecules.

Key Terms

cancer, DNA repair, free radical, mutagen, nucleic acid, ultraviolet (UV) radiation

Terms of Use

The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Video files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 02.05.03
Date Updated 04.27.22

Materials

Large (MOV) 10 MB
Large (WMV) 10 MB
Small (MOV) 3 MB
Small (WMV) 3 MB
Transcript (PDF) 144 KB
Spanish dub (MP4) 18 MB
Transcript - Español (PDF) 190 KB

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