It was concluded that hot rock from the mantle was rising up through the lithosphere and pushing the sea floorâand the continents on either sideâapart. This finding provided the mechanism to explain the purposeful movement of Earthâs plates and led to the development of the first theory of plate tectonics. Today Cooper is among a new generation of geologists who study what could be called âpostâ plate tectonics. Taking the field up a notch, she investigates similar processes on other planets and asks why Earth has plate tectonics in the first place.
Many mutations have no effect at all. These are called silent mutations. But the mutations we hear about most often are the ones that cause disease. Some well-known inherited genetic disorders include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, phenylketonuria and color-blindness, among many others.All of these disorders are caused by the mutation of a single gene.Most inherited genetic diseases are recessive, which means that a person must inherit two copies of the mutated gene to inherit a disorder.any mutations have no effect at all. These are called silent mutations. But the mutations we hear about most often are the ones that cause disease. Some well-known inherited genetic disorders include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, phenylketonuria and color-blindness, among many others.
The mutation changes the gene's instructions for making a protein, so the protein does not work properly or is missing entirely. This can cause a medical condition called a genetic disorder. You can inherit a gene mutation from one or both parents. A mutation can also happen during your lifetime. There are three types of genetic disorders: 1  Single-gene disorders, where a mutation affects one gene. 2  Chromosomal disorders, where chromosomes (or parts of chromosomes) are missing or changed. 3  Complex disorders, where there are mutations in two or more genes.