Gene Mutations - why do they occur

Your body comprises DNA, your genetic code. Your genes replicate, carrying with them all the information required to form the new cell.

A single gene, replicating from end to end, would take between 550-800 hours. Genes, therefore, use multiple strategies to replicate in a matter of hours.

Sometimes the replication goes wrong, creating genetic variations. What causes mutations, and what are the implications?

One reason for faulty genes is inheritance. Beyond that, scientists speak of the environment also known as epigenetics.

But what exactly is this environment that they are referring to?

Think of it this way. You have a specific gene that encodes to build liver cells. You cannot make heart cells out of liver genes. So the job is local.

Now imagine that while replicating the genes find themselves short of chromium, magnesium and protein. If you are wondering what these have to do with genes, your genes are made up of these building blocks.

Sugars make up the outer layer of genes, protein the inside and minerals the binding glue that keeps them together.

So now imagine that you have excessive sugar, inadequate protein, low magnesium, excessive calcium and so on.

Your replicating genes will malfunction and produce mutations.

A mutated gene does not just die. It will in turn replicate and produce more genes that are faulty. Soon, your replication error goes up.

Of course you are wondering if all of this is true, why are you not sick and diseased. The answer is simple. We make trillions of copies of our genes in our lifetime. The errors build up, but slowly.

By the time you start to recognize the symptoms, decades have passed by. All along you wondered why the effects that I speak about did not show up. Until they did.

There are a host of reasons why genes develop faulty mutations, not just poor nutrition. Alcohol, fungus and mold, radioactive substances and smoking are some of the others.

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