What is the consequence of a point mutation?

A point mutation refers specifically to a change in a single nucleotide base pair in DNA. This means that one base is replaced by another, which can alter the corresponding codon and potentially change the amino acid that is incorporated into a protein during translation.

While some point mutations may result in a change in an amino acid or could be silent (not altering the amino acid), the defining characteristic of a point mutation is this single base change. This contrasts with more extensive mutations, such as insertions or deletions, which can lead to frame shifts affecting multiple codons, or larger-scale mutations that may impact entire genes. Therefore, the correct characterization of a point mutation is the alteration of just one base pair in the DNA sequence.