When a cell divides, its genome is first duplicated and then distributed to each daughter cell. Every aspect of this fundamental biological process is tightly controlled, ensuring that the information encoded in the genomic DNA does not significantly change as it passes from generation to generation. A full complement of chromosomes is inherited in structurally intact form. The process of DNA replication is similarly characterized by an extraordinarily high degree of fidelity. During the proliferation of normal cells, heritable genetic changes occur only rarely. The information content of the genome in the cells that compose normal tissues is highly stable over the lifetime of the individual.
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(2008). Genetic Instability and Cancer. In: Principles of Cancer Genetics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6784-6_4
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