Diagram of Induced and Spontaneous Mutations

This diagram clearly illustrates the differing patterns of cell division and mutation inheritance between induced and spontaneous mutations. In section (A), labeled "Induced mutation," a mutation (shown in red) occurs very early in the cell lineage, specifically in the first division from the initial cell. This early event leads to a large proportion of the subsequent cells inheriting the mutation, as evidenced by all cells on one side of the final generation being red. In contrast, section (B), labeled "Spontaneous mutation," depicts a mutation that arises later in the cell division process. The initial generations are entirely normal (blue), with a single mutation appearing in a subsequent generation. This later onset results in a smaller, localized cluster of mutated cells (red) in the final population, demonstrating that spontaneous mutations are less likely to affect a large proportion of an organism's cells if they occur post-zygote.

mutation - induced - spontaneous - genetics - cell division - inheritance - biology - diagram