Answer: Mutation
Step-by-step explanation:
Mutations are spontaneous heritable changes in the genome that arise from several errors within DNA replication. These may be:
- Single nucleotide polymorphisms- small-scale changes, as a result of the substitution of a single nucleotides
- Frameshift mutations- large changes in the DNA sequence that affect which order and sequence codons are produced; i.e. they alter the open reading frame
Others include: missense mutations, nonsense mutations, insertions, deletions, duplications etc.
Mutations are induced by several factors, including environment, diet, radiation among others. They may be acquired, affecting somatic cells and typically due to errors in cell division or hereditary. Hereditary mutations occur in germ cells (sperm and egg) and are inherited by the offspring. These are a form of normal variation within a population that may not necessarily lead to speciation events.