A DNA mutation results in a protein that is the same as the initial protein synthesized before the mutation.

Question

What statement BEST explains this outcome?
A.One amino acid substitution does not affect protein synthesis.
B.Different codons can be translated into the same amino acid, so some mutations do not affect protein synthesis.
C.Only mutations that occur at the chromosomal level change protein function.
D.Amino acids have similar functions, so their corresponding proteins are unaffected by mutations.

Answer 1

The statement that BEST explains the outcome of a DNA mutation resulting in a protein that is the same as the initial protein synthesized before the mutation is:

B. Different codons can be translated into the same amino acid, so some mutations do not affect protein synthesis.

This phenomenon is known as redundancy or degeneracy of the genetic code, where multiple codons can code for the same amino acid. Therefore, a mutation in a codon may still result in the same amino acid being incorporated into the protein, leading to no change in the protein's structure or function.