Final answer:
About 99% of the errors that occur during DNA replication are repaired by the mismatch repair pathway, which helps in recognizing misincorporated bases, excising them, and correcting the sequence to maintain genetic stability.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a normal cell, the correct answer is that 99% of the errors that occur during DNA replication are repaired by the mismatch repair pathway. DNA replication is an incredibly accurate process with DNA polymerase adding nucleotides to the growing DNA strand, and also proofreading each new addition for errors. When errors do slip past the proofreading activity of DNA polymerase, the mismatch repair system corrects most of these errors by recognizing the misincorporated base, excising it, and resynthesizing the correct sequence. This mechanism helps maintain the genetic stability by reducing the occurrence of mutations that can lead to conditions like cancer. In the absence of proper mismatch repair, these errors can persist and lead to more permanent genetic damage.