Mutations represent the raw material for evolution. Natural selection is the main evolutionary mechanism that acts to select better-adapted individuals to the environment in which they live.
A mutation is any alteration in the genetic material (DNA) that form the genome of an organism.
Mutation can be divided into germinal mutations and somatic mutations. Germinal mutations can be eventually inherited, whereas somatic mutations cannot be inherited.
Mutations can also be divided into beneficial mutations, neutral mutations, or deleterious mutations depending on the environment in which an individual lives.
Beneficial mutations confer an adaptive advantage to the individual, thereby the individual is more able to reproduce and survive.
In consequence, beneficial mutations can be selected by natural selection and thus increase their frequency in the population across generations.
