Biology Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for biology researchers, academics, and students. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I was reading http://www.askamathematician.com/2012/05/q-is-quantum-randomness-ever-large-enough-to-be-noticed/ and saw:
[...] the evolution of entire species can be changed by a single mistake in the replication of a strand of DNA (this is one mechanism for mutation).
... implying other mechanisms for mutation exist. Do they?
Absolutely. Ionizing (X-rays, neutrons, electrons, heavy ions) and non-ionizing radiation (UV), chemicals, etc. are able to induce DNA Damage, which is then imperfectly repaired. So it's not an issue of imperfect replication, but also of imperfect damage repair.
DNA methylation over CpG doublets can cause mutation since 5mC can undergo spontaneous deamination and covert to a thymine.
