Mon Prof Augmenté
A Gene and a Mutation
Age 13 · Biology
A gene is a set of instructions for building a protein. A mutation changes those instructions, so the protein may be missing or faulty, and a genetic disease can appear.
This picture is part of the full library
Every lesson is open to everyone for 7 days after it is published. This one came out on October 11, 2026: its text stays readable here, and its picture opens with a subscription.
The app is free. A subscription opens every lesson, in every school year.
Age 13: open this week
Browse Age 13
In the picture
- A colored segment on the twisted ladder strip: one gene’s place in the DNA.
- A dark bent rung on the copied strip: a mutation in the instruction.
- A two-part building machine: where the copied instruction is read to assemble a protein.
- A short bead chain: a protein that is missing a piece or folded wrong.
- Sagging muscle fibers: the visible effect of a faulty protein in a genetic disease.
Examples
- Sickle cell disease: a change in hemoglobin makes red blood cells stiff and curved.
- Cystic fibrosis: faulty salt channels make mucus thick in the lungs.
Key takeaways
- Genes carry instructions for building proteins.
- A mutation can make a protein missing or faulty, causing a genetic disease.
Quiz: A Gene and a Mutation (Age 13)
-
What is a gene?
-
What does a mutation change?
-
If a mutation makes a protein missing or faulty, what can appear?
The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.
Free app, optional subscription
App Store Google Play
Carry on in the app
At least one new illustrated lesson every weekday for your child’s year, with its quiz and a reminder at 6:15 pm.
Your child’s teacher does not use My Enhanced Teacher yet?
Tell them about it
