GED Science : Mutations
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Mutations
What type of mutation is the least dangerous to an organism?
Missense mutation
Nonsense mutation
Silent mutation
Frameshift mutation
Silent mutation
There are a variety of mutations that can affect how a protein product is made in the body. Of the options listed, a silent mutation is the only type that does not change the final protein product. In a silent mutation, the DNA sequence is changed, but the amino acid product remains the same. Because there is no change in functionality, a silent mutation cannot harm the organism.
All of the other types of mutations listed will change what the final protein looks like, and can affect the organism in a negative way.
Example Question #2 : Mutations
Which type of mutation creates a new stop codon for the protein being created?
Missense mutation
Frameshift mutation
Silent mutation
Nonsense mutation
Nonsense mutation
Nonsense mutations alter the position of the stop codon in the mRNA strand, which creates a different product. The result is a shorter polypeptide chain that may not be able to function.
Silent mutations do not alter the final protein product. A missense mutation causes an amino acid to be replaced by another, different amino acid. A frameshift mutation changes how the mRNA strand is read by the ribosome, resulting in a dramatically different product.
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