methods and functions, instances and classes

[David Isaac]

When I create an instance of a class,
are the class's functions *copied* to create the methods?
Or are method calls actually calls of the class's functions?

I am sure this is both obvious and FAQ,
but I did not find a clear answer
(e.g. here
http://docs.python.org/tut/node11.html#SECTION0011340000000000000000 ,
a lot turns on the meaning of 'equivalent'.)

Thank you,
Alan Isaac