What is a point mutation?

A point mutation refers to a mutation that alters one specific nucleotide in the DNA sequence. This means that only a single base pair is changed, which can potentially lead to a variety of effects on the resulting protein, depending on how this alteration affects the coding sequence. Such changes can result in different types of mutations, including silent mutations, missense mutations, and nonsense mutations, each of which has different implications for protein function and expression.

The focus on a single base pair change distinguishes point mutations from other types of mutations, such as deletions or duplications, which involve larger segments of DNA. By understanding that a point mutation specifically changes one nucleotide, we can appreciate how relatively small alterations in genetic code can have significant biological consequences.