Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
A deletion mutation occurs when one or more nucleotide base pairs are removed from the DNA sequence.
Related terms
Nonsense Mutation: A mutation in a DNA sequence that results in a premature stop codon, or a nonsense codon in the transcribed mRNA, and possibly a truncated, and often nonfunctional protein product.
Missense Mutation: A type of mutation where one nucleotide is replaced by another. The change can result in coding for a different amino acid.
Chromosomal Deletion: This is when an entire section of chromosome is deleted during DNA replication.