[MD] Do genes experience?

[Peter Corteen]

Hi David,

as I understand it (from reading popular science books) the natural
variations you refer to are accidental in the genetic replication; compare
it to the lifecycle of a good novel: it's drafted first then edited,
printed, reprinted, revised, translated and updated - unintended changes can
creep in. That variation may well be evident in the organism that results.
If the variation has such an effect in the organism that it's ability to
function properly is inhibited then it may die young before mating or not be
able to mate so that the variated gene has less chance of persisting.
Conversely, the variation may make the organism even fitter so that the
variation has more chance of selection in the next generation. Maybe one day
scientists will know enough so that they will be able to assess all the
relevant factors at play in a mating and show why a particular variation
occurred but at present those factors are not known and so the variations
appear as random.

Peter