DNA Size A Crucial Factor In Genetic Mutations, Study Finds

DNA Size A Crucial Factor In Genetic Mutations, Study Finds: "The researchers investigated it by offering bases of different sizes to the DNA polymerase I enzyme and measuring how accurately the enzyme made new DNA copies. About once every 10,000 to 100,000 times the enzyme will put in the wrong base, choosing for instance a G instead of a T to pair with an A. The rate that the enzyme accurately copies DNA is known as its efficiency.
These rare and random mistakes can cause genetic mutations. While we tend to heap negative connotations onto the term, some mutations create new traits that actually benefit the organism or yield no effect. These small-scale changes, collectively called genetic drift, play an important role in evolution, as does natural selection. "