Question
6. Explain in detail why a frame-shift mutation is more harmful than a point mutation. Use a diagram to
explain.
Answer
A frame-shift mutation occurs when a nucleotide is inserted or deleted from a gene, causing the reading frame of the gene to be shifted. This results in the production of a completely different protein than the one that was intended. A point mutation, on the other hand, is a single nucleotide substitution that does not alter the reading frame of the gene. As a result, the protein produced may still be functional, although it may have a slightly different function than the original protein.
Diagram:
Original Gene Sequence: A T G C A T G C
Frame-shift Mutation: A T G C A T G
New Gene Sequence: A T G C A T G C A
Point Mutation: A T G C A T G C
New Gene Sequence: A T G C A T A C