Mutations can be caused by ultraviolet radiations from the sun or is the DNA copies itself during cell division. However, acquired mutations in somatic cells (cells other than sperm and eggs) cannot be passed to the offspring. When mutations occur in reproductive cells and are called germ line mutations. A single germ line can have a range of defects.
The zygote undergoes a process known as mitosis, in which it replicates its chromosomes (which carry each parent's DNA) and then divides, resulting in two identical cells. These cells are called totipotent and have the ability to develop into a new organism
