DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.
Term used in genetics. A spontaneous mutation is a random mutation for which no external causes are known. An example is the chemical decay of a nucleotide - cytosine spontaneously deaminates oxidatively to uracil. As the majority of DNA does not code for gEne, most spontaneous mutations go unnoticed. However, if spontaneous mutations occur in a gene, its function can be impaired or completely altered.
The opposite of a spontaneous mutation is an "induced mutation".
