Mutation

Front

What is a mutation?

Back

A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism's genome.

Front

What are the two main types of mutations?

Back

The two main types of mutations are point mutations (substitutions) and frameshift mutations (insertions and deletions).

Front

What is a frameshift mutation?

Back

A frameshift mutation occurs when nucleotides are inserted or deleted from the DNA sequence, altering the reading frame.

Front

Why are insertion and deletion mutations particularly harmful?

Back

They change all of the codons from the mutation on down the line, which changes the amino acid sequence.

Front

What is a chromosomal mutation?

Back

A chromosomal mutation involves changes to the structure or number of chromosomes, which can have significant effects on an organism.

Front

What is a nucleotide substitution?

Back

A nucleotide substitution is a mutation that replaces one nucleotide with another, potentially altering a single amino acid in a protein.

Front

What happens during a deletion mutation?

Back

During a deletion mutation, one or more nucleotides are removed from the DNA sequence.

Front

Where do mutations primarily occur?

Back

Mutations primarily occur in DNA.

Front

What is the impact of a nucleotide insertion?

Back

A nucleotide insertion adds an extra nucleotide to the DNA sequence, potentially causing a frameshift mutation.

Front

What is the difference between a silent mutation and a missense mutation?

Back

A silent mutation does not change the amino acid sequence, while a missense mutation results in a different amino acid being incorporated.