A mutation that changes a codon that originally coded for an amino acid into a stop codon is called a
A)frameshift mutation.
B)missense mutation.
C)silent mutation.
D)nonsense mutation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A mutation that changes a codon that codes for an amino acid into a stop codon is known as a nonsense mutation. This mutation will cause the premature termination of the polypeptide chain, resulting in a truncated or nonfunctional protein. Frameshift mutation involves insertion or deletion of base pairs, causing a shift in the reading frame and altering the downstream amino acid sequence. Missense mutation changes a codon that codes for one amino acid to a different codon that codes for a different amino acid. Silent mutation involves a change in the DNA sequence that doesn't alter the amino acid sequence of the protein due to the degeneracy of the genetic code.

A Mutation That Changes a Codon That Originally Coded for an Amino