Radioactivity muddles alphabet of DNA
Wednesday, December 18, 2013 - 10:36
in Biology & Nature
Researchers have shown natural radioactivity within DNA can alter chemical compounds, providing a new pathway for genetic mutation. The research for the first time looked at natural radioactivity within human DNA on the atomic-scale. While radioactivity occurs naturally in our bodies as well as in every living organism across the planet, it was never before thought to affect our DNA in such a direct way.