Final answer:
Changing a single amino acid in a protein can result in major changes to the protein's structure and function, potentially leading to diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, or stopping protein production entirely in the case of nonsense mutations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Changing a single amino acid in a protein consisting of 325 amino acids can have a significant impact on the protein's structure and function due to a type of mutation known as a missense mutation. Such a change in the sequence can lead to diseases, such as sickle-cell anemia, which is caused by a single amino acid substitution in the hemoglobin protein. This substitution of valine for glutamic acid in the hemoglobin leads to a major alteration in the protein's properties and the person's health. Not all amino acid substitutions result in such severe outcomes, as the effect depends on the location within the protein and the roles of the affected amino acid. Additionally, mutations like nonsense mutations can lead to a complete loss of function if they introduce a premature stop codon, halting the production of the entire protein.