Transversion

Illustration of a transversion: each of the 8 nucleotide changes between a purine and a pyrimidine (in red). The 4 other changes are transitions (in blue).

Transversion, in molecular biology, refers to a point mutation in DNA in which a single (two ring) purine (A or G) is changed for a (one ring) pyrimidine (T or C), or vice versa.[1] A transversion can be spontaneous, or it can be caused by ionizing radiation or alkylating agents. It can only be reversed by a spontaneous reversion.

  1. ^ Futuyma, D.J. (2013). Evolution (3rd ed.). Sinauer. ISBN 978-1605351155.