Final answer:
The most damaging mutation to a cell is likely to occur in the exon, or protein-coding region, of a gene.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most damaging mutation to a cell is likely to occur in the protein-coding region of a gene, which is also known as the exon. Exons contain the instructions for building proteins, and any mutation in this region can result in a faulty or non-functional protein. Mutations in the 3' untranslated region or the 5' untranslated region of a gene are less likely to directly impact the protein-coding region, and therefore have a lesser impact on the cell.