What is a change in gene replication that can either help or harm the offspring called?

The term that describes a change in gene replication that can either help or harm the offspring is referred to as a genetic mutation. This process involves alterations in the DNA sequence, which can lead to variations in traits. Mutations can arise from various factors, including environmental influences or random errors during DNA replication. Depending on the nature of the mutation, it can have beneficial, neutral, or detrimental effects on the organism's phenotype or health.

Genetic expressions, gene therapy, and transcription are related to genetic processes, but they do not specifically address the concept of changes in gene replication leading to beneficial or harmful outcomes. Genetic expression involves how genes are turned on or off and how they produce specific traits without a direct alteration of the genetic code itself. Gene therapy is an intervention aimed at correcting or modifying genes to treat diseases, rather than an inherent change in the genetic material. Transcription refers to the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA, which is a step in gene expression and not a direct change to the DNA sequence.