Flashcard 3(A)-Unit 5-Types of Mutations

Front

What is a mutation?

Back

A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism, which can lead to changes in the organism's traits.

Front

What are the main types of mutations?

Back

The main types of mutations are substitution, deletion, insertion, and translocation.

Front

What is a substitution mutation?

Back

A substitution mutation occurs when one base pair in the DNA sequence is replaced by another base pair.

Front

What is a deletion mutation?

Back

A deletion mutation occurs when one or more base pairs are removed from the DNA sequence.

Front

What is an insertion mutation?

Back

An insertion mutation occurs when one or more base pairs are added into the DNA sequence.

Front

What is a translocation mutation?

Back

A translocation mutation occurs when a segment of DNA is moved from one location to another within the genome.

Front

How can mutations affect protein function?

Back

Mutations can alter the amino acid sequence of proteins, potentially changing their structure and function.

Front

What is the difference between a point mutation and a frameshift mutation?

Back

A point mutation involves a change in a single nucleotide, while a frameshift mutation involves the insertion or deletion of nucleotides that shifts the reading frame.

Front

What is the significance of a stop codon in mutations?

Back

A stop codon signals the end of protein synthesis; mutations that create or change stop codons can lead to truncated proteins.

Front

What is the impact of a non-polar to polar amino acid substitution?

Back

Changing a non-polar amino acid to a polar one can affect protein folding and function due to differences in chemical properties.