Which of the following is the term given to multiple forms of a gene that are produced by mutation?

The term that refers to multiple forms of a gene produced by mutation is "allele." In genetics, an allele is a variant form of a gene that arises through mutations and can lead to different traits or characteristics in an organism. For instance, a gene that determines flower color might have alleles for red, white, and blue colors. Each of these alleles represents a different version of the same gene, contributing to the genetic diversity within a population.

In contrast, adaptation refers to the process through which organisms become better suited to their environment over time, usually through natural selection and does not specifically relate to different versions of a gene. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that carries genetic information but does not specifically denote variations of a gene. Natural selection is a mechanism through which evolution occurs, favoring certain traits over others but does not describe gene variations themselves. Thus, "allele" is the precise term for the genetically different forms of a single gene.