Final answer:
A frameshift mutation occurs when a number of nucleotides that is not divisible by three is inserted or deleted from a DNA sequence, disrupting the reading frame and altering the translation. A missense mutation involves changing a single nucleotide, leading to the substitution of a different amino acid.
Step-by-step explanation:
A frameshift mutation occurs when a number of nucleotides that is not divisible by three is inserted or deleted from a DNA sequence. This disrupts the reading frame and can completely alter the translation of the gene.
For example, if a single nucleotide is inserted, it will shift the reading frame and change all subsequent codons, resulting in a completely different amino acid sequence.
On the other hand, a missense mutation is a type of point mutation where a single nucleotide is changed, resulting in the substitution of a different amino acid. This can cause changes in protein function and potentially lead to diseases, like sickle-cell anemia.
A nonsense mutation occurs when a point mutation changes the codon for an amino acid to a stop codon, prematurely terminating protein synthesis and resulting in a nonfunctional protein.