Base excision repair (BER) pathway executed by a complex network of proteins is the major system responsible for the removal of damaged DNA bases and repair of DNA single strand breaks (SSBs) generated by environmental agents, such as certain cancer therapies, or arising spontaneously during cellular metabolism. Both modified DNA bases and SSBs with ends other than 3'-OH and 5'-P are repaired either by replacement of a single or of more nucleotides in the processes called short-patch BER (SP-BER) or long-patch BER (LP-BER), respectively. In contrast to Escherichia coli cells, in human ones, the two BER sub-pathways are operated by different sets of proteins. In this review the selection between SP- and LP-BER and mutations in BER and end-processors genes and their contribution to bacterial mutagenesis and human diseases are considered.