what type of mutations can be passed to your offspring?
The effects of mutations Since all cells in our body contain DNA, there are lots of places for mutations to occur; however, some mutations cannot be passed on to offspring and do not matter for evolution. Somatic mutations occur in non-reproductive cells and won't be passed onto offspring. For example, the golden color on half of this Red Delicious apple was caused by a somatic mutation. Its seeds will not carry the mutation. The only mutations that matter to large-scale evolution are those that can be passed on to offspring. These occur in reproductive cells like eggs and sperm and are called germ line mutations. Effects of germ line mutations A single germ line mutation can have a range of effects: 1  No change occurs in phenotype. Some mutations don't have any noticeable effect on the phenotype of an organism. 2  Small change occurs in phenotype. A single mutation caused this cat's ears to curl backwards slightly. 3  Big change occurs in phenotype.