Types of Chromosome Mutations

Chromosome mutations can be grouped into three basic categories: chromosome rearrangements, aneuploidy, and polyploidy (Figure 6.3). Chromosome rearrangements alter the structure of chromosomes; for example, a piece of a chromosome may be duplicated, deleted, or inverted. In aneuploidy, the number of chromosomes is altered: one or more individual chromosomes are added or deleted. In polyploidy, one or more complete sets of chromosomes are added. A polyploid is any organism that has more than two sets of chromosomes (3n, 4n, 5n, or more).

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6.3 Chromosome mutations consist of chromosome rearrangements, aneuploidy, and polyploidy. An example of each category of mutation is shown here.
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