Maria is concerned because she has been exposed to a small amount of radiation during an x-ray. what is her doctor most likely to tell her?

a. radiation from x-rays is not a mutagen unless you have x-rays every day.
b. mutagens have no effect on the body unless you have inherited them.
c. small amounts of a mutagen often do not have an effect on health.
d. severe mutations are usually caused by small amounts of a mutagen.

C. Small amounts of a mutagen often do not have an effect on health.

A mutation is a permanent alteration or a change in the genetic composition of an organism. Mutagen is a physical or chemical agent which brings changes in the genome of the organism. X-ray is an example of physical mutagen. X-rays are vital imaging tool used for diagnosing bone structures in humans. Exposure to high X-ray radiation levels can have effects like vomiting, skin and hair loss, bleeding. However, exposure to low X-ray radiation levels does not cause immediate health effects. Therefore, this explains the fact that small amount of a mutagen often do not have an effect on health.

not necessarily. higher fitness requires the organism to be reproductive successful. for example, an organism at age 10 with 15 offspring is much more fit than an organism at age 15 with only 5 offspring.