Please answer this as soon as possible - Why are mutations that occur in an organism's body cells not passed onto its offspring?
In higher animals and many higher plants, a mutation is transmitted to future generations only if it occurs in sex cells. Body cell mutations cannot be inherited because they do not affect the DNA contained in the sperm and egg cells.
Mutations that occur in an organism's body cells, also known as somatic mutations, are not passed onto its offspring because they do not affect the genetic material present in the organism's reproductive cells, such as eggs or sperm. To understand why, it's important to know the difference between somatic and germ cells.
Somatic cells make up the body tissues and organs of an organism, while germ cells are responsible for producing eggs and sperm. Somatic mutations can occur during an organism's lifetime due to various factors such as exposure to radiation, environmental toxins, or errors in DNA replication. These mutations can alter the genetic material present in somatic cells, leading to changes in the organism's phenotype or characteristics.
However, only mutations that occur in germ cells, specifically in the DNA of eggs or sperm, can be passed on to the next generation. These mutations become incorporated into the genetic material of the offspring, affecting their inherited traits. This is because the genetic material in germ cells is specifically involved in the process of reproduction, ensuring that the offspring inherit a combination of genetic material from both parents.
So, while somatic mutations may cause changes in an organism's body, such as the development of cancerous cells, they do not get transmitted to the next generation as they do not affect the genetic material that is passed on during reproduction. Only mutations that occur in the DNA of germ cells have the potential to be inherited by offspring.