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
Neutral mutations are changes in an organism's genetic code that do not affect its fitness, meaning they neither benefit nor harm an organism’s survival or reproduction abilities.
Related terms
Silent Mutation: A type of mutation where a codon is changed, yet still codes for the same amino acid.
Missense Mutation: This is when a single nucleotide change results in a codon that codes for a different amino acid.
Nonsense Mutation: A mutation that alters the sequence of bases in a DNA molecule so that no protein can be synthesized.