muton

1 9.9

The smallest part of a gene that can change

noun
/ˈmjuːtɒn/

Archaic

: mutón

Scientists study the muton to understand how genetic variations occur within species.

Examples

Why the hell can I not aim at the door/window/wall with my heavy plasma and open some hole for my sniper to gib the muton taking cover inside the building?

Blog text (10)
A muton is identified as the basic segment of a gene that can change or mutate.
The mutation observed in the muton led to significant changes in the organism's traits.

Surface Forms

muton singular

mutons plural

Morphology

muton = mutation (semi-transparent) = mut + on

The relation to the common word 'mutation' and the scientific suffix '-on' (meaning a unit/particle) makes the formation partially clear to learners with some science knowledge but not obviously productive for general learners.

Etymology

Muton comes from mutate ('change') and the ending -on, as in electron, where -on often names a very small thing, so a muton is the smallest part of a gene that can change.