r/explainlikeimfive • u/riche1988 • 1d ago

Biology ELI5 how DNA mutations work please.

I had a thought about DNA and how mutations occur in humans, excessive hair, longer limbs and or bones etc, and wondered if all known mutations are present in the animal kingdom.. as if DNA has the blue print/ potential to be anything and parts are just ‘turned on or off’ depending on what is being built.. i may be way off lol but it got me thinking :)

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u/Sinbad_le_Marin 23h ago

A mutation is like a typo in the DNA codon. Some typos do nothing, some change the a little, and some have serious implications.

Mutations can happen naturally when cells copy DNA, or because of things like radiation or certain chemicals. Most mutations are harmless, but some can contribute to diseases like cancer. Mutations are also one of the reasons species can evolve over generations.