The differences in the DNA bases between individuals can affect the amino acid sequence of the proteins they produce. The DNA sequence is translated into a sequence of amino acids through the process of protein synthesis. The DNA sequence is read in groups of three nucleotides, called codons, and each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid.
There are four different nucleotide bases in DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). The sequence of these bases determines the sequence of the codons in the DNA, and therefore the sequence of the amino acids in the resulting protein.
A change in a single base pair can result in a different amino acid being added to the growing protein chain. This is called a "missense" mutation. Alternatively, a change in a single base pair can result in a premature stop codon, which can lead to a truncated protein or a non-functional protein. This is called a "nonsense" mutation.
The differences in the DNA bases between individuals can result in different amino acid sequences and different protein structures, which can have a range of effects on an individual's traits and susceptibility to disease. For example, some genetic diseases are caused by mutations in specific genes that result in abnormal proteins. Understanding the effects of these mutations on protein structure and function can provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of these diseases and inform the development of potential treatments.