Mutation (biology) in the context of "Mobile genetic elements"

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⭐ Core Definition: Mutation (biology)

In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, mitosis, or meiosis or other types of damage to DNA (such as pyrimidine dimers caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation), which then may undergo error-prone repair (especially microhomology-mediated end joining), cause an error during other forms of repair, or cause an error during replication (translesion synthesis). Mutations may also result from substitution, insertion or deletion of segments of DNA due to mobile genetic elements.

Mutations may or may not produce detectable changes in the observable characteristics (phenotype) of an organism. Mutations play a part in both normal and abnormal biological processes including: evolution, cancer, and the development of the immune system, including junctional diversity. Mutation is the ultimate source of all genetic variation, providing the raw material on which evolutionary forces such as natural selection can act.

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Mutation (biology) in the context of Recurrent evolution

Recurrent evolution also referred to as repeated or replicated evolution is the repeated evolution of a particular trait, character, or mutation. Most evolution is the result of drift, often interpreted as the random chance of some alleles being passed down to the next generation and others not. Recurrent evolution is said to occur when patterns emerge from this stochastic process when looking across multiple distinct populations. These patterns are of particular interest to evolutionary biologists, as they can demonstrate the underlying forces governing evolution.

Recurrent evolution is a broad term, but it is usually used to describe recurring regimes of selection within or across lineages. While most commonly used to describe recurring patterns of selection, it can also be used to describe recurring patterns of mutation; for example, transitions are more common than transversions. The concept encompasses both convergent evolution and parallel evolution; it can be used to describe the observation of similar repeating changes through directional selection as well as the observation of highly conserved phenotypes or genotypes across lineages through continuous purifying selection over large periods of evolutionary time.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Recurrent evolution
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Deletion (genetics) → Gene duplication → Chromosomal inversion → Biology → Nucleic acid sequence → Genome → Organism → Virus → Extrachromosomal DNA → DNA → RNA → DNA replication → Viral replication → Mitosis → Meiosis → DNA repair → Pyrimidine dimer → Ultraviolet → Microhomology-mediated end joining → DNA repair → Substitution (genetics) → Insertion (genetics) → Mobile genetic elements → Tulip → Somatic mutation → Phenotype → Evolution → Cancer → Immune system → Junctional diversity → Genetic variation → Natural selection →