Final answer:
A mutation is an inherited change in an organism's DNA. They can be caused by replication errors, environmental mutagens, or viruses, and can have neutral, beneficial, or harmful effects on the organism. Mutations are fundamental for genetic variation and evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
A mutation is an inherited change in the DNA sequence of an organism. Mutations can occur as a result of errors during DNA replication, exposure to mutagens like radiation and chemicals, or from viral infections. It's important to understand that mutations are not always detrimental; they can also be beneficial or neutral.
A beneficial mutation may confer an advantage to the organism in its environment and can lead to evolutionary changes. Mutations are the source of all genetic variation and play a crucial role in the evolutionary process. Germline mutations affect reproductive cells and can be passed down to offspring, while somatic mutations affect body cells and are not heritable.
Examples of mutations include point mutations, deletions, insertions, duplications, and translocations. A mutation may change the amino acid sequence of a protein, potentially affecting its function, which can lead to various outcomes ranging from no effect to a significant impact on an organism's phenotype.