Final answer:
A mutation can cause an altered polypeptide to be produced through substitution mutations or frameshift mutations. Substitution mutations result in small changes in the protein, while frameshift mutations can lead to the formation of a new protein with radically different characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
A mutation can cause an altered polypeptide to be produced through various mechanisms. One mechanism is substitution mutations, where a different amino acid is encoded instead of the usual one at a specific location in the protein. This can result in small changes in the protein.
Another mechanism is frameshift mutations, where the addition or deletion of nucleotides changes the reading frame of the protein, causing multiple amino acid changes and potentially leading to the formation of a new protein with radically different characteristics.
For example, a substitution mutation can cause a different amino acid to be placed in a protein instead of the usual amino acid. This can lead to small changes in the protein, such as altered enzymatic activity or protein structure. On the other hand, a frameshift mutation can cause the reading frame of the protein to shift, resulting in multiple amino acid changes. This can lead to the formation of a new protein with significantly different properties.