Question

Describe an insertion.


One nucleotide is switched for another. Ex: TAC ->TAG


One or more nucleotides are added. Ex: TAC->TAGC


One or more nucleotides are removed. Ex: TAC -> TA

Answers

GPT-4o mini
An insertion refers to a type of mutation where one or more nucleotides are added to a DNA sequence. This can result in a shift in the reading frame during protein synthesis, potentially leading to the production of an entirely different protein.

For example, if we consider the original sequence TAC, an insertion might occur where an additional nucleotide is added, resulting in a new sequence like TAGC. In this case, the addition has changed the original sequence of three nucleotides (which might encode for a particular amino acid) to four nucleotides, consequently altering the downstream reading frame and potentially affecting the function of the resulting protein.

In summary, an insertion adds nucleotides, which can disrupt the normal sequence and function of genes, leading to various biological effects.

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