Mutations that produce changes in a gene rather than changes in whole chromosomes are called what?

• A. Gene mutation
• B. Mutation
• C. Point mutation
• D. Insertion mutation

Answer: (A)

Mutations at this scale involve changes inside a single gene rather than altering whole chromosomes. When the DNA sequence within a gene is modified, it’s described as a gene mutation. This category includes many possible changes—substitutions, insertions, or deletions within the gene—that can affect the protein the gene encodes. The term “gene mutation” is the most precise way to describe mutations that stay within a gene rather than involve larger chromosomal alterations, which would be chromosomal mutations. A broad term like “mutation” could refer to either type, and a specific type like “point mutation” or “insertion mutation” describes only a subset of gene changes.