Mutations

Nonsense mutations alter the position of the stop codon in the mRNA strand, which creates a different product. The result is a shorter polypeptide chain that may not be able to function.

Silent mutations do not alter the final protein product. A missense mutation causes an amino acid to be replaced by another, different amino acid. A frameshift mutation changes how the mRNA strand is read by the ribosome, resulting in a dramatically different product.

There are a variety of mutations that can affect how a protein product is made in the body. Of the options listed, a silent mutation is the only type that does not change the final protein product. In a silent mutation, the DNA sequence is changed, but the amino acid product remains the same. Because there is no change in functionality, a silent mutation cannot harm the organism.

All of the other types of mutations listed will change what the final protein looks like, and can affect the organism in a negative way.