Multiple Choice
Which type of mutation is most likely to have a harmful effect on an organism?
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17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination
Types of Mutations
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Which type of mutation causes sickle cell anemia?
A
Silent mutation
B
Missense mutation
C
Nonsense mutation
D
Frameshift mutation
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the different types of mutations: a silent mutation does not change the amino acid sequence; a missense mutation changes one amino acid to another; a nonsense mutation introduces a premature stop codon; and a frameshift mutation alters the reading frame of the gene.
Recall that sickle cell anemia is caused by a change in the hemoglobin protein, specifically a single amino acid substitution in the beta-globin chain.
Identify that this amino acid substitution results from a single nucleotide change in the DNA sequence, which changes one codon to code for a different amino acid.
Recognize that this type of mutation, which changes one amino acid to another without introducing a stop codon or shifting the reading frame, is called a missense mutation.
Conclude that the mutation causing sickle cell anemia is a missense mutation because it alters the protein structure by substituting one amino acid, leading to the disease phenotype.
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