genetic science, genetics - the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms

alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago"

inversion - (genetics) a kind of mutation in which the order of the genes in a section of a chromosome is reversed

transposition - (genetics) a kind of mutation in which a chromosomal segment is transfered to a new position on the same or another chromosome

mutagenesis - an event capable of causing a mutation

gene mutation, point mutation - a mutation due to an intramolecular reorganization of a gene

reversion - a return to a normal phenotype (usually resulting from a second mutation)

saltation - a mutation that drastically changes the phenotype of an organism or species