changes vs mutations ... perhaps clarifying the terms in the process.

This is an offshoot of the {the phylogeographic challenge to creationism (mick)} thread.The question is about what changes in DNA are strickly speaking mutations in the DNA and what are due to other mechanims.The first bump this runs into is the definition of all changes in the DNA as mutations. Personally I find this definition to be useless. Presumably a hand of a designer (human or other) actively reaching into the DNA strand and rearranging things is still a mutation. Such a wide definition has no predictive or differentiative ability.So let's start the discussion by focusing on different mechanisms for changes to the DNA {structure\order\sequence}, and seeing how many different mechanisms can be {defined\described\categorized}.Off the top I would submit these possible categories of changes to the DNA makeup of a cell (whether single cell or part of a multicellular organism):

1. change to DNA by interaction with {particle radiation\energy\chemical\atom\etc}
2. change to DNA by mistakes in copying during reproductive processes
3. changes to DNA by sections being cropped out, inserted or cropped out and reinserted (transposons)
4. change to DNA by {virus infection\insertion, plasmid insertion, horizontal transfer}
5. the addition of alternative DNA sequences to the cell (plasmids, viruses, mitochondria ...}
6. intentional physical interference and alteration of the DNA for a specific purpose (genetic engineering)

Are there other mechanisms that result in changes to an organisms DNA makeup?

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the only other topic I saw close to this is a closed grand debate thread.{Is it science} just to keep the question open eh?

Thread copied to the changes vs mutations ... perhaps clarifying the terms in the process. thread in the Biological Evolution forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.