So let's go a little bit more into this idea of UV and mutation. Let's look a little at UV and genetic variability and we'll throw a little sex in there. Let's look a little bit about UV radiation as a mutagen. UV can cause DNA damage which is not the same as a mutation. If DNA damage is just simply some way that the DNA is damaged, this doesn't mean that it can be passed on to the next generation which is what a mutation would be. Now, DNA's damage can be repaired. Great, then you're all set to go off and do whatever you were doing. But DNA damage can certainly cause mutation through heritable changes in the DNA or it can lead to death. There could be enough damage that organisms simply die. If UV causes the mutation, this creates genetic novelty. So here you're getting into the whole idea of UV driving genetic variability and evolution.

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