![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The first mutagens to be identified were carcinogens, substances that were shown to be linked to cancer. Not all mutations are caused by mutagens: so-called "spontaneous mutations" occur due to spontaneous hydrolysis, errors in DNA replication, repair and recombination. The process of DNA becoming modified is called mutagenesis. All mutagens have characteristic mutational signatures with some chemicals becoming mutagenic through cellular processes. As many mutations can cause cancer in animals, such mutagens can therefore be carcinogens, although not all necessarily are. In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. The international pictogram for chemicals that are sensitising, mutagenic, carcinogenic or toxic to reproduction. ![]()
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