Question

Can environmental factors affect the coding of genes?

Answer 1

No, they cannot directly affect a change to genes. If there is a mutation in the genes (a change) and this is seen as beneficial to the individual in an environment and allows them to reproduce then it will be possibly passed on. Those with a beneficial gene for a change in environment will continue to produce offspring an survive and so the frequency of the allele (the gene) will increase and so the trait becomes more common