Final answer:
Mustard gas causes DNA damage by forming adducts with DNA bases, leading to cross-linking and base pairing errors. It alkylates guanine, impeding DNA replication and transcription, which may result in mutations and cancer, or trigger cell apoptosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Mustard Gas Causes DNA Damage:
Mustard gas causes DNA damage by forming adducts with DNA, leading to base pairing errors and cross-linking in the DNA strands. It functions as an alkylating agent, which can alkylate the guanine base in DNA, preventing accurate DNA replication and transcription, and ultimately leading to cell death or uncontrollable cell division, which can manifest as cancer.
Exposure to mustard gas can have severe consequences, as it induces mutations that can result in cancer or death. It represents a class of chemical mutagens that modify existing bases, causing molecular consequences if DNA repair mechanisms fail to correct the damage. Mutagens like this demonstrate the importance of DNA repair processes and the potential risks of chemical exposure in the environment.