Editing Self-replication (section)

{{Short description|Type of behavior of a dynamical system}}
{{see also|Biological reproduction}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019|cs1-dates=y}}
[[Image:DNA chemical structure.svg|thumb|right|200px|[[Molecular structure]] of [[DNA]] ]]
'''Self-replication''' is any behavior of a [[dynamical system]] that yields construction of an identical or similar copy of itself. [[Cell (biology)|Biological cell]]s, given suitable environments, reproduce by [[cell division]]. During cell division, [[DNA replication|DNA is replicated]] and can be transmitted to offspring during [[reproduction]]. [[virus (biology)|Biological viruses]] can [[Viral replication|replicate]], but only by commandeering the reproductive machinery of cells through a process of infection. Harmful [[prion]] proteins can replicate by converting normal proteins into rogue forms.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8435320.stm |title='Lifeless' prion proteins are 'capable of evolution' |work=BBC News |date=2010-01-01 |access-date=2013-10-22}}</ref> [[Computer virus]]es reproduce using the hardware and software already present on computers. Self-replication in [[robotics]] has been an area of research and a subject of interest in [[science fiction]]. Any self-replicating mechanism which does not make a perfect copy ([[mutation]]) will experience [[genetic variation]] and will create variants of itself. These variants will be subject to [[natural selection]], since some will be better at surviving in their current environment than others and will out-breed them.