Molecular Repair

Even more fascinating is the repair that occurs at the molecular level, in the coding of genetic information, or DNA.

As old cells die and new cells are created to replace them, DNA passes genetic data from one generation to the next. But in this constantly repeating process of copying and recopying, mistakes will happen.

These mistakes occur in part because of the law of averages, but also as a result of external factors ranging from excessive exposure to natural threats, such as ultraviolet light radiation, to interference from carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances, either natural or manmade.

When a DNA molecule is damaged or fails to copy itself correctly, special proteins called enzymes see and recognize the damage.

They act to cut out the damaged bit of molecule and splice in a fresh, healthy section. Such molecular mistakes occur daily in the renewal of the body's cells.

When natural defenses are overwhelmed, either by environmental threats or through natural aging, these molecular mistakes are not corrected. The self-repair mechanisms fail, and the new defective cells multiply to create a cancer.