Mondo Knows Facts
Mutations supply new genetic variation
Copying errors and damage create the alleles that selection can act on A mutation is any change in the DNA sequence, from a single swapped base to a lost or duplicated stretch. Most are neutral, some are harmful and a few prove useful in a particular environment. Without new mutations a population would eventually run out of variation for evolution to work with. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.
Where this comes from
National Human Genome Research Institute
Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.
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Tags: genetics, dna, evolution
Mutations supply new genetic variation: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Copying errors and damage create the alleles that selection can act on. The figure is taken from National Human Genome Research Institute, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
- Is this really a science fact?
- Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
- What else can I read about it?
- The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.