mutagen etymology

Etymology:

• Greek: "mutans" (changing) + "-gen" (producing)

Meaning:

• A substance that causes mutations (changes) in DNA.

Origin:

• Coined in 1943 by H.J. Muller, who had worked extensively on the effects of X-rays on fruit flies and proposed that genes mutate naturally.
• The term "mutagen" was originally used to refer to any agent that could cause changes in the genetic material of an organism, but it is now more specifically used to describe agents that cause permanent heritable changes.
• Mutagens can be physical (e.g., radiation, heat), chemical (e.g., alkylating agents, intercalating agents), or biological (e.g., transposons, viruses).

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