Deleterious Mutations in AP Biology

Definition

Deleterious mutations are harmful changes in an organism's genetic material that decrease its chances of survival and reproduction.

Related terms

Genetic Disorder: A disease caused by deleterious mutations in one or more genes, similar to a computer program not working due to bugs.

Fitness:

In evolutionary terms, fitness refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce. Deleterious mutations decrease an organism's fitness, much like how bugs can make a computer program less useful.

Natural Selection:

Again, this is the process where organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. Deleterious mutations often get weeded out through natural selection - it’s like users abandoning buggy software for better functioning ones.