title: Silent nucleotide substitutions and the molecular evolutionary clock.
abstract: Half of the nucleotide substitutions during the evolutionary divergence of genes in animals, bacteria, and viruses are silent changes. These result from an inherent biochemical property of DNA and are fixed by genetic drift. Evolution may be viewed as a device for protecting DNA molecules from extinction.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003062:Codon; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D005815:Genetic Code; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006657:Histones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005914:Globins; D004247:DNA