Even though the long-term survival of species may be improved by genetic changes, the survival of individuals requires genetic stability. To achieve this, each living cell has a complement of enzymes whose function is to repair errors or damage in the...

When it was discovered that DNA is the macromolecular carrier of essentially all genetic information, it was assumed that DNA is extremely stable. Consequently, it came as something of a surprise to learn that DNA is actually unstable and subject to...

DNA repair refers to a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as UV light can cause DNA damage,...

Every day, your DNA suffers damage--ultraviolet radiation, pollution, and cigarette smoke all take their toll. If unchecked, this damage can produce more extensive DNA lesions that result in tumors. Fortunately, DNA continuously repairs this damage. Now, for the first time, scientists have identified...

The prevailing assumption about photoaged skin is that it is the irreversible consequence of misspent youth-the payback for long hours of indiscrete sun exposure. But recent scientific advances are elucidating the steps in the photoaging process, and provide evidence that wrinkled, dry, discolored, and...

Like UV rays and diesel exhaust fumes, working the graveyard shift will soon be listed as a "probable" cause of cancer.It is a surprising step validating a concept once considered wacky. And it is based on research that finds higher rates of breast and prostate...

Like UV rays and diesel exhaust fumes, working the graveyard shift will soon be listed as a "probable" cause of cancer.It is a surprising step validating a concept once considered wacky. And it is based on research that finds higher rates of breast and prostate...