A deletion mutation occurs, leaving 14 nucleotides in a DNA sequence.
What is the maximum number of amino acids that could be coded for by this sequence?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A) 11
A
11
(Choice B) 6
B
6
(Choice C) 5
C
5
(Choice D) 4
D
4
The maximum number of amino acids that could be coded for by a DNA sequence depends on the number of nucleotides in the codons. Each codon consists of 3 nucleotides, so the maximum number of amino acids that could be coded for is the number of nucleotides divided by 3. In this case, since there are 14 nucleotides, the maximum number of amino acids that could be coded for is 14/3 = 4. Therefore, the correct answer is (Choice D) 4.
To determine the maximum number of amino acids that could be coded for by a DNA sequence, we need to consider the reading frame of the sequence. A reading frame is the way in which the nucleotide sequence is divided into codons, which code for specific amino acids during protein synthesis.
In a deletion mutation, one or more nucleotides are lost from the DNA sequence. This can cause a shift in the reading frame, leading to a different set of codons being read.
In this particular case, a deletion mutation has left 14 nucleotides in the sequence. However, we cannot determine the maximum number of amino acids coded for without additional information about the specific codons affected by the deletion. The reading frame and the number of codons affected by the deletion will determine the number of amino acids that can be coded for.
Therefore, none of the answer choices (A, B, C, or D) can be considered correct, as they do not encompass all possible scenarios resulting from the deletion mutation.