why is the rate at which mutations occur rather slow?

Question

it it because cells monitor their DNA and correct mutations, mutations usually occur in body cells(not cells that become eggs and sperm), or because mutations don't affect critical protien parts?

Answer 1

Mutations occur quite rapidly, we just never find out about most of them. Go out in the sun for a couple hours and the DNA in your skin cells will be full of thyamine dimers, which effectively jacks your DNA up, causing mutations. But thankfully, (evolution is so cool) life has developed repair mechanisms to fix most problems that arise. If it were not so you, and I, and all other life would be dead by now. There is simply too much radiation, chemicals, and crazy people going around to keep our DNA in good working condition without it. Ah, and if you check out this on molecular clocks, you will also see a correlation between the importance of a particular gene product and the rate of mutation. It is rather fascinating I must say. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_clock

Answer 2

If it was faster, there would be a greater chance of more mutations happening per generation; more mutations in an individual means more chance that one or more of them would be detrimental to survival, so genotypes that mutate too freely weed themselves out of the gene pool by *dying*.

Answer 3

DNA polymerase contains "proofreading" enzymes, capable of correcting mutations or errors in the DNA sequence

Answer 4

Mutations are occuring all the time the problem is most are unsucessful,

Answer 5

Germs and vireses grow at differrent rate. some can survive longer out side the body. a dry invironment v.s. a wet invironment.aids can survive 90 mins. without wetness....

Answer 6

because of DNA repair enzymes and DNA is More stable than RNA because it is a double helix.

Answer 7

As the mechanism of cellular division is fecund.

Answer 8

Responder magnetout has it exactly right.