Question

What type of mutation is least likely to affect the function of the protein corresponding to the gene in which the mutation occurs?

1) Silent mutation
2) Missense mutation
3) Nonsense mutation
4) Frameshift mutation

Answer 1

A silent mutation is the least likely type of mutation to affect protein function, as it does not alter the amino acid sequence of the protein due to the redundancy of the genetic code.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of mutation least likely to affect the function of the protein corresponding to the gene in which the mutation occurs is a silent mutation. Unlike missense, nonsense, or frameshift mutations, a silent mutation does not change the amino acid sequence of a protein. It occurs when a base pair is substituted but the new codon still encodes for the same amino acid, thanks to the redundancy of the genetic code. This means the protein's structure and function are likely to remain unchanged. In contrast, missense mutations change one amino acid, which may or may not significantly alter protein function. Nonsense mutations often result in nonfunctional proteins due to premature stop codons. Frameshift mutations typically lead to nonfunctional proteins because of shifts in the reading frame altering the entire amino acid sequence downstream of the mutation.