Muta Health Dictionary

A chemical or physical agent that has the property of increasing the rate of MUTATION among CELLS. A mutagen does not usually increase the range of mutations. Chemicals, ionising radiation, and viruses may act as mutagens.... mutagen

A change occurring in the genetic material (DNA) in the CHROMOSOMES of a cell. It is caused by a fault in the replication of a cell’s genetic material when it divides to form two daughter cells. Mutations may occur in somatic cells which may result in a local growth of the new type of cells. These may be destroyed by the body’s defence mechanism or they may develop into a tumour. If mutation occurs in a germ cell or gamete – the organism’s sex cells – the outcome may be a changed inherited characteristic in succeeding generations. Mutations occur rarely, but a small steady number are caused by background radiation in the environment. They are also caused by mutagens (see MUTAGEN). (See also GENETIC DISORDERS.)... mutation

Linn.

Family: Malvaceae.

Habitat: Native to China; planted in the hedges of gardens.

English: Cotton-Rose, ChineseRose, Confederate Rose.

Ayurvedic: Sthala-Padam, Sthal- Kamal.

Siddha/Tamil: Irratai-vellaichemba- rattam, Sembarattai.

Action: Flower—used in pectoral and pulmonary affections. Leaf and flower—expectorant, bechic, anodyne. Used in menorrhagia, dysuria, swellings, fistulae, wounds and burns.

The flowers contain quercetin, kaempferol, betulinic acid, hexyl stearate, tetratriacontanol, nonacosane, stigmasta-3, 7-dione, stigmasta-4-ene- one and beta-sitosterol. Flowers collected in the morning gave no an- thocyanin; maximum anthocyanin is found in the afternoon.... hibiscus mutabilis

adj. affected by or showing the effects of a mutation. —mutant n.... mutant