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Related Concept Videos

Mutations in Microorganisms01:18

Mutations in Microorganisms

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Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
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Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

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The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
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Mismatch Repair01:20

Mismatch Repair

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Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
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Mismatch Repair01:36

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Overview
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Genome Copying Errors02:46

Genome Copying Errors

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DNA replication is a well-evolved process that copies millions of base pairs with high fidelity during each cell division. Occasionally a wrong base or a long stretch of wrong bases may get added to the daughter strands. If the errors are left unchecked, cells might accumulate several mutations that might endanger their  survival. Therefore, the copying errors are checked and repaired at three levels.
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Updated: May 6, 2026

Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay
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Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay

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The human mutation rate is increasing, even as it slows.

Gregg W C Thomas1, Matthew W Hahn

  • 1School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University.

Molecular Biology and Evolution
|November 9, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Substitution rates in primates vary due to selection for reduced somatic mutation rates, not generation time. The per-generation mutation rate is increasing, while the per-cell-division rate is decreasing.

Keywords:
hominoid slowdownmutation ratesubstitution rate

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genomics
  • Molecular evolution

Background:

  • Species exhibit variation in substitution rates, prompting numerous hypotheses.
  • Genomic data offers new insights into mutation rate variations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate proposed hypotheses for substitution rate variation in primates using new genomic data.
  • To investigate the role of the generation-time effect and somatic mutation rates.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of genomic data on per-generation mutation rates in primates.
  • Comparison of observed rate variation with proposed hypotheses.

Main Results:

  • The commonly understood generation-time effect does not adequately explain primate substitution rate variation.
  • Selection for decreased somatic mutation rates is a more plausible explanation.
  • Recent human history shows an increasing per-generation mutation rate alongside a decreasing per-cell-division rate.

Conclusions:

  • The generation-time effect requires re-evaluation in light of new genomic data.
  • Somatic mutation rate selection is a significant factor in evolutionary substitution rates.
  • Mutation rate dynamics are complex, with differing trends at the per-generation and per-cell-division levels.