Which mutation involves the addition or deletion of nucleotides?

The correct answer is indeed associated with the addition or deletion of nucleotides, which is characteristic of a frameshift mutation. This type of mutation occurs when nucleotides are inserted into or deleted from the DNA sequence. As a result, the reading frame of the mRNA is altered, leading to the potential production of completely different proteins downstream of the mutation site. This can significantly impact the resulting polypeptide, often resulting in nonfunctional proteins or diseases.

Frameshift mutations are particularly concerning because they can change the way the genetic code is interpreted, affecting every amino acid that follows the mutation. For example, if an insertion of a single nucleotide occurs, all subsequent codons are shifted, leading to a cascade of changes.

Other types of mutations like point mutations involve a change in a single nucleotide without necessarily altering the reading frame. Block mutations typically involve large segments of DNA being duplicated, deleted, or rearranged, which might not involve the shift of the reading frame in the same way. Translocation mutations involve the movement of a segment of DNA from one location to another within the genome, which doesn't directly result from the addition or deletion of nucleotides but rather from rearrangements between non-homologous chromosomes. Therefore, recognizing the specific impact