Which of the following mutations would be most likely to have a harmful effect on an organism?
A) a deletion of three nucleotides near the middle of a gene
B) a single nucleotide deletion in the middle of an intron
C) a single nucleotide deletion near the end of the coding sequence
D) a single nucleotide insertion downstream of, and close to, the start of the coding sequence

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A single nucleotide insertion downstream of, and close to, the start of the coding sequence can cause a frameshift mutation, altering the reading frame of the gene and potentially leading to a nonfunctional protein. This type of mutation is likely to have a more harmful effect compared to the other options, which might not disrupt the protein's function as severely.

Which of the Following Mutations Would Be Most Likely to Have