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mutagen

mutagen

27 8.6
A chemical or radiation that causes changes in genes
  • noun
  • /ˈmjuːtəˌdʒɛn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mutágeno
  • Ethyl methane sulfonate is an alkylating agent and a potent mutagen.
  • chemical mutagens

Non mutagen, non mutagen, non mutagenic.

Examples

Synonyms

mutator
vsmutagen
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A thing, like a gene or chemical, that makes genes change more often

focuses on external agents like chemicals or radiation rather than genetic elements

Antonyms

stabilizer
  • Specialized
5 4.8

A chemical added to a mixture to stop it changing or going bad

How Mutagenic

mutagen
  • Specialized
27 8.6
mutagenicity
  • Specialized
1 9.7

Surface Forms

mutagen singular
mutagens plural

Morphology

mutagen = mutate (semi-transparent) = mutate + gen

Formed by adding the combining form '-gen' meaning 'producer' to the verb 'mutate'; clear to learners who know 'mutate' or scientific '-gen', but '-gen' is a technical combining form and may be unfamiliar.

Etymology

The word mutagen comes from the old Latin verb mutare 'to change' and the part -gen 'to make', seen in common words like generate and gene. So a mutagen is something that 'makes change' in genes, which explains why it causes mutations.