AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A silent mutation is a type of substitution, or point, mutation, wherein the change in the DNA sequence of the gene has no effect on the amino acid sequence. For example, AAA (codes for the amino acid lysine, Lys) being mutated to AAG (which also codes for Lys).

Detailed explanation-2: -Occasionally, single-letter misspellings in the genetic code, known as point mutations, occur. Point mutations that alter the resulting protein sequences are called nonsynonymous mutations, while those that do not alter protein sequences are called silent or synonymous mutations.

Detailed explanation-3: -Silent mutations result in a new codon (a triplet nucleotide sequence in RNA) that codes for the same amino acid as the wild type codon in that position.

Detailed explanation-4: -Silent mutations are base substitutions that result in no change of the amino acid or amino acid functionality when the altered messenger RNA (mRNA) is translated. For example, if the codon AAA is altered to become AAG, the same amino acid – lysine – will be incorporated into the peptide chain.