Can Mutations Be Genetically Inherited?

Some mutations are hereditary because they are passed down to an offspring from a parent carrying a mutation through the germ line, meaning through an egg or sperm cell carrying the mutation. There are also nonhereditary mutations that occur in cells outside of the germ line, which are called somatic mutations.

Can genetic mutations be passed on?

Mutations can be passed down from the mother or father to the developing baby, and these are called inherited mutations. For example, if your mother had a mutation that caused her to be a lot shorter than average, you could inherit her mutation and be shorter than average yourself.

Are genetic mutations always inherited?

If the gene mutation exists in egg or sperm cells, children can inherit the gene mutation from their parents. When the mutation is in every cell of the body (meaning a child was born with it), the body is not able to "repair" the gene change.