Question

Which of the following mutations would be most likely to have a harmful effect on an organism?(1 point)
Responses

a deletion of 3 bases near the center of a gene
a deletion of 3 bases near the center of a gene

a substitution of a thymine for an adenine
a substitution of a thymine for an adenine

there is not enough information to know whether a mutation would be harmful
there is not enough information to know whether a mutation would be harmful

all mutations have a harmful effect on organisms

Answer 1

The most likely mutation to have a harmful effect on an organism is **a deletion of 3 bases near the center of a gene**.

This is because a deletion of three bases would remove one amino acid from the resulting protein without shifting the reading frame, potentially altering its function. The effect on the organism would depend on the role of that specific protein, but mutations that change protein sequences can often lead to detrimental effects.

In contrast, a substitution of a thymine for an adenine might or might not lead to a significant change, depending on whether it affects the amino acid sequence (a silent mutation could occur).

Thus, it is generally safest to say that the deletion of three bases is more likely to have a harmful effect.