At 02:20 26/03/2020, Wendy Olsen wrote:

I urge you to realise the virusreplicates itself as particles splitting off from particles. The wordmutation here refers to a change in the genetic sequence.

Unless biology has changed since I was taught about it (it feels like 100years ago!), viruses do not, and cannot, replicate by 'splitting' (that'ssomething that only some living micro-organisms, like bacteria,can do).  Instead they 'take over' the  target host cells (e.g.those in an infected human) and 'instruct' those cells to manufacturevirus particles.

I don't know, but I can but presume that viral mutation occurs when thatmanufacturing process in the host cells goes a bit wrong, resulting inthe manufacture of virus particles with a slightly changedgenome.

Virus are not living things by any normal definition, and therefore arenot subject to many of the influences that can affect livingcells/organisms, but (again I haven't got a clue!) it's possible thatphysical influences (like radiation) can do 'damaging' things to thestructure of the RNA (or DNA) of the virus

Kind Regards,

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