What occurs when a DNA gene is altered, affecting its genetic message?

When a DNA gene is altered, affecting its genetic message, the process being described is a mutation. A mutation refers to any change in the DNA sequence that can result in a different version of a gene, which can subsequently affect how that gene expresses itself in a particular organism. This alteration can lead to changes in traits, potentially impacting the organism's phenotype and fitness. Mutations can occur due to various factors, such as errors during DNA replication, exposure to certain chemicals, or radiation.

In the context of genetics, mutations can be classified into different types, such as point mutations (which involve changes to a single nucleotide), insertions, deletions, and larger-scale mutations affecting multiple genes. These changes can be neutral, beneficial, or harmful to the organism, and they play a crucial role in evolution by providing the genetic variation necessary for natural selection.

The other concepts, like gene flow, speciation events, and genetic drift, refer to different mechanisms in population genetics and evolutionary biology. Gene flow involves the transfer of genes between populations, while genetic drift refers to changes in allele frequencies due to random sampling, particularly in small populations. Speciation events describe the process by which new species arise, which is often influenced by factors that include mutations but is not