Class 12 · Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Frameshift Mutations and Reading Frames — NEET Biology

✅ Asked in NEET 2019
📖 NCERT Source

Insertion or deletion of three or its multiple bases insert or delete in one or multiple codon hence one or multiple amino acids, and reading frame remains unaltered from that point onwards.

NCERT Biology · Class 12 · Chapter 5 · Paragraph 114
How NTA Uses This Concept

NTA tests whether you understand that insertion or deletion of bases in multiples of three (3, 6, 9, etc.) do NOT cause frameshift mutations because they preserve the reading frame downstream. Students commonly mistake any insertion/deletion as causing a frameshift, but the key is the number of bases added or removed. If bases deleted or inserted are NOT multiples of three, the reading frame shifts and all subsequent codons change, producing non-functional proteins. Remember: multiples of 3 bases = normal amino acids affected but frame intact; non-multiples of 3 = frameshift occurs for all downstream codons.

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QuestionNEET 2019

Under which condition will there be no change in reading frame of the given mRNA? (NEET 2019) 5' AACAGCGGUGCUAUU 3'

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