how do women pass on gene mutations to their children

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how do DNA changes get passed to their children, if all eggs are done being formed and already have the genetic material needed in their teen(?) years?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

There is a difference between a heritable and a non-heritable mutation. The cells that give rise to life, egg cells and sperm cells, are called germ cells, while all the other cells in your body are called somatic cells. Mutations in somatic cells are non-heritable, meaning they can not be passed down to offspring. Mutations that occur in the germ cells are heritable, because they CAN be passed down to offspring. So, in order for a genetic mutation to be passed along, the mutation needs to have occurred during gametogenesis, or the formation of the germ cells. So, in short, the mutation occurred waaaaay back when the mother was herself still very young. This also means that, as you correctly guessed, mutations that occur after this point are non-heritable

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