The purpose of the x-rays was to alter the DNA sequence of some members of the Neurospora population.
Mutation refers to an alteration to the nucleotide sequence of the DNA of an individual or a group of individuals.
Alteration to the DNA nucleotide sequence of individuals may occur in different ways. They include;
A mutation may or may not affect the phenotype of individuals. It can be caused by a variety of factors:
Thus, the purpose of the X-rays in the case of Beadle and Tatum would be to act as a mutagen.
More on mutation can be found here: https://brainly.com/question/13923224
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