In the field of biology, genetic mutations are variations that occur during the formation of DNA in living beings and due to this, interesting modifications will be produced in their characteristics, and may also be passed on to their descendants. In multicellular organisms, mutations can only be passed on when they damage reproductive cells.
The appearance of mutations are due to different factors, one of them has to do with the fact that the DNA cannot be copied exactly, that is, when a cell is split, it necessarily makes a copy, but there are circumstances where this copy does not manages to perform successfully, resulting in a negligible difference in the DNA sequence, causing a mutation to occur.
Another factor has to do with elements that can be found in the environment, such as extensive exposures to radiation or certain chemical substances. These elements can cause DNA wear and tear and once the cell begins the DNA repair process, it may do so imperfectly, which would cause the cell to present DNA a little different from the original, which would lead to the appearance of a mutation.
Mutations can take place at three different levels:
- At the molecular level: in this case they can only affect the chemical composition of the genes.
- At the chromosome level: here the alteration ends up damaging a portion of the chromosome, thus affecting its entire structure.
- At the genomic level: in this case, the genome group is damaged, increasing or decreasing the number of chromosome sets, as well as damaging individual chromosomes, as occurs with Down syndrome.
Mutations should not be seen as something that only represents damage to living beings, since mostly, mutations cause the existence of genetic diversity, which represents the development of all species, however there are situations, where these alterations they only bring ailments that can be mild or serious as the case may be.
It should be remembered that in the environment there will always be chemical, physical or biological factors that can promote the appearance of mutations. Vaccines, microwave rays are some of the agents that can cause the appearance of mutations. Therefore, people are advised to exercise extreme caution when coming into contact with these agents.
