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AAT Bioquest

What causes mutations?

Posted March 25, 2021


Answer

A mutation, which is a change in a DNA sequence, can have a positive, negative, or neutral effect. They can occur naturally or can be caused by environmental factors known as mutagens. Common mutagens include sunlight, smoking, radiation, chemicals, and infectious agents. Any mutagen that leads to cancer is referred to as a carcinogen. Contrarily, natural mutations occur spontaneously by themselves, and it typically happens during DNA replication.

Additional resources

Mutagens in genetic dissection

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