Virus mutations down to chance, in more ways than one
Like all viruses, SARS-CoV-2 mutates in order to maximise its survival chances.
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Mutations
Smoking a pack a day causes 150 mutations in every lung cell, research shows
LONDON: Scientists have found that smoking a pack a day of cigarettes can cause 150 damaging changes to a smoker's lung cells each year.
The findings come from a study of the devastating genetic damage, or mutations, caused by smoking in various organs in the body.
Publishing in the journal Science on Thursday, the researchers said the findings show a direct link between the number of cigarettes smoked in a lifetime and the number of mutations in the DNA of cancerous tumors.
The highest mutation rates were seen in…
Biggest catalogue of DNA variants yields its secrets
PARIS, FRANCE: Scientists on Wednesday unveiled patterns in the largest catalogue of human genetic variation ever assembled, highlighting mutations mistakenly blamed for causing rare diseases and others that may play an unexpected role in ill health.