AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Stop codons are also called nonsense codons because they do not code for an amino acid and instead signal the end of protein synthesis. Thus, nonsense mutations occur when a premature nonsense or stop codon is introduced in the DNA sequence.

Detailed explanation-2: -Nonsense Mutation A nonsense mutation occurs in DNA when a sequence change gives rise to a stop codon rather than a codon specifying an amino acid. The presence of the new stop codon results in the production of a shortened protein that is likely non-functional.

Detailed explanation-3: -When the mRNA stop codon is reached, the fully synthesized protein does not simply fall off the ribosome. Release factors (RFs) are the protein assistants that recognize the presence of a stop codon in the ribosomal A-site and trigger cleavage of the polypeptide from the P-site tRNA (Fig. 9).

Detailed explanation-4: -When a mutation occurs in a protein coding region it may have several effects. Nucleotide substitutions may lead to no change in the protein sequence (known as silent mutations), change the amino acid sequence (known as missense mutations), or create a stop codon (known as a nonsense mutation).