A geneticist found that a particular mutation had no effect...

A geneticist found that a particular mutation had no effect on the polypeptide encoded by a gene. This mutation probably involved
a. deletion of one nucleotide.
b. alteration of the start codon.
c. insertion of one nucleotide.
d. substitution of one nucleotide.

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Key Concepts

Frameshift Mutation

Frameshift mutations occur when nucleotides are inserted or deleted from the DNA sequence and the number of nucleotides added or removed is not a multiple of three. This shifts the reading frame of the codons during translation, typically resulting in a completely altered and nonfunctional protein.

Silent Mutation

A silent mutation is a change in the nucleotide sequence of a gene that does not alter the amino acid sequence of the protein it encodes. This often occurs due to the redundancy of the genetic code, where multiple codons can code for the same amino acid, hence a substitution in one nucleotide can leave the protein unchanged.

Point Mutation

A point mutation refers to a change in a single nucleotide in the DNA sequence. When this point mutation is a substitution that does not change the amino acid (due to codon redundancy), it is termed a silent mutation.

Codon Redundancy

Codon redundancy is the property of the genetic code where different codons encode the same amino acid. This redundancy means that some nucleotide substitutions will not affect the protein sequence, allowing mutations to occur without detrimental effects to the organism.

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