All of my answers are cut&paste straight from Wikipedia. Edit it if it's a problem, but it sure is nice and complicated.
Quote:1. What is a mutation?
In biology, mutations are changes to the nucleotide sequence of the genetic material of an organism.
Quote:2. How can mutations affect protein synthesis in cells?
Changes in DNA caused by mutation can cause errors in protein sequence, creating partially or completely non-functional proteins. To function correctly, each cell depends on thousands of proteins to function in the right places at the right times. When a mutation alters a protein that plays a critical role in the body, a medical condition can result. A condition caused by mutations in one or more genes is called a genetic disorder. Some mutations alter a gene's DNA base sequence but do not change the function of the protein made by the gene. Studies in the fly Drosophila melanogaster suggest that if a mutation does change a protein, this will probably be harmful, with about 70 percent of these mutations having damaging effects, and the remainder being either neutral or weakly beneficial.
If a mutation is present in a germ cell, it can give rise to offspring that carries the mutation in all of its cells. This is the case in hereditary diseases. On the other hand, a mutation can occur in a somatic cell of an organism. Such mutations will be present in all descendants of this cell, and certain mutations can cause the cell to become malignant, and thus cause cancer.
Quote:3. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about mutations.
a. Cells with mutations will always make normal proteins.
b. Some mutations occur when one nitrogen base is substituted for another.
c. Some mutations occur when chromosomes don't separate correctly during meiosis.
a is obviously false, based on question two, and c is definitely correct. I'm not sure about b.
Quote:4. Mutations can be a source of genetic _____________.
Quote:5. Is the following sentence true or false? All mutations are harmful. ___________
FALSE, as liq3 said.
Quote:6. Mutations that are ___________ improve an organism's chances for survival and reproduction.
BENEFICIAL or ADVANTAGEOUS
Quote:7. Whether mutation is harmful or helpful depends partly on an organism's ____________.
Um, HABITAT? Just guessing.