Wurzburg [Germany]: When cells divide, there is a substantial risk of genetic harm. After all, the cell must repeat its whole genetic material, including billions of genetic letters, before it can divide. This repeatedly produces "reading errors" in the genome. Other factors, including as exposure to sunlight, alcohol, and cigarettes, are also responsible for the buildup of DNA damage over a person's lifetime.
Of course, the cell is not impotent in the presence of such injuries. It contains a large library of biological mechanisms that are activated in response to DNA damage. The precise term for this is DNA damage response (DDR). Specific signaling pathways are usually responsible for the immediate recognition and repair of DNA damage, ensuring the cell's survival.
