突然変異

• Reading: とつぜんへんい
• Romaji: totsuzenhen-i
• Kanji breakdown: 突 (totsu) — sudden, thrust; 然 (zen) — so, thus; 変 (hen) — change, unusual; 異 (i) — different, strange
• Pronunciation: /to.tsɯ.zeɴ.heɴ.i/

Meaning

Mutation. A sudden change in the DNA sequence of a gene or chromosome.

A noun and suru-verb used in biology and genetics for random changes in genetic material. Can refer to both the process and the result. Used literally in science and figuratively to describe sudden, dramatic change. Common collocations include 突然変異体 (totsuzen hen-itai, mutant), 遺伝子の突然変異 (idenshi no totsuzen hen-i, gene mutation), and 突然変異を起こす (totsuzen hen-i wo okosu, to undergo mutation).

Examples

1. ウイルスは突然変異を繰り返して新しい型になる。 Viruses repeatedly mutate to become new strains.
2. 放射線は生物に突然変異を引き起こすことがある。 Radiation can cause mutations in living organisms.
3. この花の色は突然変異によって生まれたものだ。 The color of this flower came about through mutation.

Usage Guide

Context: biology, genetics, science fiction

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 突然 (totsuzen, suddenly) + 変異 (hen-i, variation/change). Literally 'sudden variation' — an unexpected change in genetic material. The term captures the abrupt, unpredictable nature of genetic mutations.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal