Question

which of the following is true about uv radiation and it's ability to cause dna mutations? select all that apply: question 9 options: it leads to the hydrolysis of cytosine it leads the formation of thymine dimers it causes breaks in dna it induces mutations through excitation

Answer 1

UV radiation causes thymine dimers and mutations through base excitation, but does not lead to hydrolysis of cytosine or breaks in DNA directly.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can induce DNA mutations primarily through the excitation of electrons of DNA bases, which leads to the formation of thymine dimers. Thymine dimers occur when two adjacent thymine bases in a DNA strand undergo a covalent bond to each other, creating a bulge that distorts the DNA molecule and affects its function. While UV radiation does not lead to hydrolysis of cytosine or to direct breaks in the DNA backbone—both of which are more typical of ionizing radiation—it does induce mutations by causing excitations of DNA bases, including thymine and cytosine.