Genetics: Mutations

Vocabulary flashcards covering types of DNA mutations and their effects on gene expression and amino acid sequences based on the lecture notes.

Mutation

A heritable change in genetic material that alters the DNA sequence of a gene and can be beneficial or harmful.

Point mutation

A mutation that involves a change in a single base pair.

Transition

A point mutation involving the change of a pyrimidine ($C, T$) to another pyrimidine, or a purine ($A, G$) to another purine.

Transversion

A point mutation involving the change of a pyrimidine to a purine.

Silent mutation

Base substitutions in the coding sequence of a structural gene that do not alter the amino acid sequence.

Missense mutation

Base substitutions in the coding sequence where an amino acid change does occur (e.g., $Lys \rightarrow Glu$).

Neutral mutation

A mutation where a substituted amino acid has no detectable effect on protein function.

Nonsense mutation

Base substitutions that change a normal codon to a stop codon.

Frameshift mutation

A mutation involving the addition or deletion of a number of nucleotides that is not divisible by three.