Question

Type of gene mutation which involves replacement of purine with pyrimidine or vice versa or the substitution of one type of base with another type of base is

• A. Transduction
• B. Transversion
• C. Translocation
• D. Transcription

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Transversion

Transduction is the transfer of genetic material from one strain to other via viral particles. The virus infects bacteria and released viral particles carry part of the bacterial genetic material which is then transferred to next host bacterium; option A is incorrect. Substitution of purine base for a pyrimidine base or substitution of pyrimidine base for a purine base is called as transversion. Hence, adenine is replaced with thymine/ uracil and guanine with cytosine which makes option B correct. Rearrangement of the chromosomal segment between two non-homologous chromosomes is called as translocation; option C is incorrect. Transcription is the process of synthesis of RNA using DNA template strand and is carried out by RNA polymerase; option D is incorrect.