Discuss which type of DNA mutation in the coding region of an essential human gene (for example, ...

Answer to q. 1

Answers can vary, but missense mutations may have the least effect on phenotype, unless
they occur in an amino acid critical for protein functioning. A nonsense mutation would
eliminate the proteins function, unless it occurred far downstream. Frameshifts, if they occur
early in the gene sequence, will change the entire amino acid sequence of the resulting
protein, thereby abolishing protein activity. Transposons would be most harmful if they insert
in the midst of the coding sequence of a gene.

Answer to q. 2

Concepts to Consider: The main barrier to linking transcription and translation in
eukaryotes is, of course, the nucleus. In addition, newly synthesized eukaryotic DNA is not
ready to undergo translation due to the need for posttranscriptional processing. In
prokaryotes, the linking of transcription and translation results in the loss of one level of
possible control of gene expression.

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