Table 3 The principles and theory of population genetics can be applied to populations of cells.
Events/processes | In populations of organisms | In populations of somatic cells |
|---|---|---|
Mutation | Creates a mutant individual/family | Creates a mutant cell/clone |
Lethal mutation | No offspring | No clonal growth |
Neutral mutation | No visible change | No visible change |
Mutation with absolute advantage | Mutant people will gradually take over | Clone will grow faster than other cells |
Mutation with conditional advantage | Mutant people will increase in a certain environment | Clone will grow faster under certain conditions |