Question

The original DNA sequence TTT mutated to TTC. Using the codon chart below, what can you conclude from this information?

a) The original amino acid remains the same.
b) The mutated amino acid is different.
c) There is no change in the protein.
d) The mutation is silent.

Answer 1

The DNA mutation from TTT to TTC is a silent mutation that does not change the amino acid sequence or function of the resulting protein.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a DNA sequence changes from TTT to TTC, we can determine the impact of this mutation by referring to a codon chart. Both TTT and TTC codons encode for the amino acid phenylalanine. As a result, this change does not alter the amino acid that is incorporated into the protein during translation. Because this mutation does not result in a change in the protein's sequence, it is classified as a silent mutation.

Although there is a change in the DNA sequence, the redundancy of the genetic code allows some mutations to be silent. This indicates that different codons can specify the same amino acid, and in the case of TTT to TTC, we see exactly this redundancy at work. The resulting protein remains unchanged in its composition of amino acids. Therefore, there is no change in the function of the protein due to this specific mutation.