Here's a summary of the different types of mutations:
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Substitution: This mutation involves the replacement of one nucleotide with another in the DNA sequence. It can lead to:
- Silent mutation: No change in the amino acid sequence.
- Missense mutation: A change that results in a different amino acid being incorporated into the protein.
- Nonsense mutation: A change that creates a stop codon, leading to premature termination of protein synthesis.
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Insertion: In this mutation, one or more nucleotides are added to the DNA sequence. This can disrupt the reading frame, potentially altering the entire amino acid sequence downstream of the mutation.
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Frameshift: This mutation occurs when nucleotides are inserted or deleted in numbers not divisible by three, leading to a shift in the reading frame of the genetic code. This can dramatically change the resulting protein, often resulting in nonfunctional proteins.
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Deletion: In this case, one or more nucleotides are removed from the DNA sequence. Like insertions, this can also result in a frameshift if the number of nucleotides deleted is not a multiple of three, potentially altering the entire protein.
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Viable error: This term generally refers to mutations that do not kill the organism or are not detrimental to its survival. Viable errors can sometimes lead to beneficial traits or variations that may be subject to natural selection.
These mutations can have varying impacts on an organism, ranging from benign to harmful or even beneficial, depending on factors such as the context of the mutation and its environment.
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