Particles responsible of mutations ?

[Externet]

Could natural particles collision with genetic tissues be a casual causal of genetic mutations or evolution ?

Like the ones observed in a cloud chamber, or others that escape observation, hitting by chance a key/sensitive location of a gene?

 

Would deep undersea creatures have less chance to evolve if this is factual ?

Edited August 8, 2014 by Externet

[Anthony Morris]

Any sort of radiation could alter DNA. Deep sea creatures are exposed to some forms of radiation in the sea also. Heavy metals are exuded from the Earth's mantle into the seabed. Carbon-14 decay and the decay of other non-metal isotopes also release radiation that can cause mutations. The carbon-14 in your own body is probably inducing mutations in your own body right now.

[Strange]

Radiation is one source of mutations. I'm not sure, but I don't think it is particularly significant; I think transcription errors during cell division are more important.

 

Also, because we have evolved with a certain level of background radiation there are mechanisms to correct these sorts of errors.

[Anthony Morris]

Correct. Which is why we don't develop cancerous tumors at the drop of a hat. Radiation is still considered a significant mutagen all the same. There are other causes including chemicals and heavy metals and even temperature changes can cause transcription errors from some of my reading. Apparently freezing can cause transcription errors as well. Lots of ways to cause mutations.

 

The original post was asking about radiation specifically which is why I answered the way I did.

[MigL]

But what causes the trascription errors Strange ?

[Strange]

But what causes the trascription errors Strange ?

 

I don't know the details. Ultimately just the fact that complex mechanisms like this can't be perfect. Presumably things get skipped or duplicated or transposed or one base is mistaken for another....

 

http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/dna-replication-and-causes-of-mutation-409

[CharonY]

That is incorrect. Transcription refers to the process of generating (m)RNA from DNA template (i.e. gene expression). What you are thinking of is DNA replication. The responsible DNA polymerase does make occasional mistakes for which there are proof-reading and repair systems. This is a stochastic process, obviously and sometimes the errors get maintained.

 

Bacteria have a specific error prone polymerase that has less fidelity than the "regular" one and which gets activated under certain stresses. Thus if they are not in good shape they increase their mutation rate as a strategy to deal with the stressors.

[Strange]

That is incorrect. Transcription refers to the process of generating (m)RNA from DNA template (i.e. gene expression). What you are thinking of is DNA replication.

 

You are right. I had a feeling there was something wrong...