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Glite Dictionary
🧬 A mutation agent 🔧 A changing function 💻 A changing program
mutator

mutator

1 9.6
A thing, like a gene or chemical, that makes genes change more often
  • noun
  • /ˈmjuːteɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mutágeno
  • Certain chemicals act as a mutator, increasing the likelihood of genetic changes in living organisms.

Examples

  • If these levels become imbalanced, you have mutator phenotypes and DNA replication.

  • Scientists discovered a mutator gene responsible for the rapid evolution of bacteria in harsh environments.

  • The research focused on identifying a specific mutator that enhances mutation rates in cancer cells.

Synonyms

mutagen
vsmutator
  • Specialized
27 8.6

A chemical or radiation that causes changes in genes

also includes internal agents such as genes causing or raising mutation rates

Surface Forms

mutator singular
mutators plural

Morphology

mutator = mutate (transparent) = mutate + or

Standard agent-noun formation indicating 'an agent that causes mutation', which matches the biological use.

Etymology

Mutator comes from the Latin root mut- meaning 'change', the same root as in mutation. In biology a mutator is an agent that causes genes to change or that makes mutations happen more often.