Mosaic (genetics)

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mosaic-genetics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is mosaicism in genetics?Mosaicism means a person has different cells with different genes, all starting from one egg and sperm. It happens when a mutation occurs after fertilization and spreads to some cells.
2. How can a mutation in one cell affect many cells?If a mutation happens in a single cell during development, all the cells that come from that cell will carry the mutation, making a patch of cells that are different.

Post-zygotic Mutation: A genetic alteration that occurs after the formation of a zygote, leading to mosaicism.
Aneuploidy: The presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell.
Somatic Mutation: A mutation that occurs in a non-reproductive cell, affecting only the individual organism.