Biology

DNA, RNA, and Chromosomes

Is DNA always copied exactly?

Considering how many cells there are in the human body and how often it occurs, DNA replication is fairly accurate. Spontaneous damage to DNA is low, occurring at the rate of 1–100 mutations per 10 billion cells in bacteria. The rate for eukaryotic genes is higher, about 1–10 mutations per million gametes. The rate of mutation can vary according to different genes in different organisms.