Final answer:
A frameshift mutation is caused by either (b) inserting one nucleotide or (c) deleting one nucleotide, which alters the reading frame of the genetic sequence. Substituting a single nucleotide typically results in a different type of mutation and does not cause a frameshift unless it is coupled with an insertion or deletion. Frameshift mutations have a more significant impact on the protein product than the insertion or deletion of three nucleotides, which will add or remove one amino acid but keep the remaining protein sequence intact.
Step-by-step explanation:
The types of changes that would result in a frameshift mutation are the insertion or deletion of a single nucleotide. Specifically, the answer to the question is (b) inserting one nucleotide and (c) deleting one nucleotide. A frameshift mutation occurs because nucleotides are read in triplets called codons during the process of translation where RNA is used to create proteins. The addition or loss of a nucleotide changes the reading frame, potentially altering every subsequent codon and resulting in a completely different protein or an early stop to the translation process.
A substitution of a single nucleotide, also known as a point mutation, may cause a different type of mutation such as a silent, missense, or nonsense mutation but does not lead to a frameshift unless the substitution involves the insertion or deletion of a nucleotide. The effect of these mutations can vary greatly. A frameshift mutation resulting from the insertion or deletion of three nucleotides is less deleterious because it does not alter the reading frame in the same way as a single nucleotide change does; it merely adds or removes an entire codon, which could result in an additional or missing amino acid but leaves the rest of the protein sequence intact.
In contrast, a missense mutation is a point mutation that results in the substitution of one amino acid for another within the protein being produced, while a nonsense mutation is a point mutation that introduces a premature stop codon into the sequence, terminating protein synthesis prematurely and usually resulting in a nonfunctional protein.