Final answer:
A nonsense mutation is a type of mutation that occurs in the DNA sequence, resulting in the production of a truncated and often non-functional protein product. It occurs when a codon that normally codes for an amino acid is changed into a stop codon, leading to premature termination of protein synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nonsense mutation is a type of mutation that occurs in the DNA sequence, resulting in a premature stop codon or a nonsense codon in the transcribed mRNA. This mutation leads to the production of a truncated and often non-functional protein product. For example, if a codon that normally codes for an amino acid is changed into a stop codon, then the translation process will stop prematurely, resulting in a shorter protein that may not be able to carry out its normal function.