AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The mechanisms of evolution-like natural selection and genetic drift-work with the random variation generated by mutation. Factors in the environment are thought to influence the rate of mutation but are not generally thought to influence the direction of mutation.

Detailed explanation-2: -In this respect, mutations are random-whether a particular mutation happens or not is unrelated to how useful that mutation would be. For example, in the U.S. where people have access to shampoos with chemicals that kill lice, we have a lot of lice that are resistant to those chemicals.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mutations can result from errors in DNA replication during cell division, exposure to mutagens or a viral infection. Germline mutations (that occur in eggs and sperm) can be passed on to offspring, while somatic mutations (that occur in body cells) are not passed on.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mutations can be of many types, such as substitution, deletion, insertion, and translocation.