Final answer:
A point mutation is a type of mutation that causes the replacement of a single base nucleotide with another nucleotide. It can be caused by depurination, deamination, or tautomeric shift.
Step-by-step explanation:
A point mutation is a type of mutation that causes the replacement of a single base nucleotide with another nucleotide. It can be caused by depurination, deamination, or tautomeric shift. Depurination refers to the loss of a purine base, deamination is the spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine, and tautomeric shift results in a purine becoming a pyrimidine, or vice versa.