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Variant vs Mutation - What's the difference?

variant | mutation |

In genetics terms the difference between variant and mutation

is that variant is a different sequence of a gene (locus) while mutation is any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material.

As nouns the difference between variant and mutation

is that variant is something that is slightly different from a type or norm while mutation is any alteration or change.

As an adjective variant

is showing variety, diverse.

variant

English

Alternative forms

* variaunt (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Showing variety, diverse.
  • Showing deviation or disagreement.
  • (obsolete) Variable.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is slightly different from a type or norm.
    • All breeds of dog are variants of the species “Canis lupus familiaris”.
    The word "kerosine" is a variant of “kerosene”.
  • (genetics) A different sequence of a gene (locus).
  • (computing) A variable that can hold any of various unrelated data types.

    • Related terms

    * variance * variation * vary

    See also

    * alternate * alternative ----

    mutation

    English

    (wikipedia mutation)

    Alternative forms

    * (abbreviation)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any alteration or change.
  • (genetics) Any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= David Van Tassel], [http://www.americanscientist.org/authors/detail/lee-dehaan Lee DeHaan
    • , title= Wild Plants to the Rescue , volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Plant breeding is always a numbers game.
  • A mutant.
  • (linguistics) An alteration a particular sound of a word, especially the initial consonant, which is triggered by the word's morphological or syntactic context and not by its phonological context.
  • (rare) A (collective noun) for a collection of thrushes.
  • * 1984 , Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Wildlife , volume 45:
    • Birdwatchers would enjoy a host of sparrows, a herd of swans, a descent of woodpeckers, a herd of wrens, and mutation of thrushes.
  • * 2010 , Doug Bennet, Tim Tiner, The Complete Up North: A Guide to Ontario's Wilderness from Black Flies to the Northern Lights , page 57:
    • Names for a group: A flute or mutation of thrushes.
  • * 2013 , Jason Sacher, A Compendium of Collective Nouns: From an Armory of Aardvarks to a Zeal of Zebras , page 196:
    • A Mutation of Thrushes
    The authors of the books of venery were not predicting Darwin with this term, but taking a cue from a common fable of the time.

    Related terms

    * macromutation * micromutation * mutate