Final answer:
A frameshift mutation, such as the deletion or insertion of a single nucleotide pair, significantly alters the protein's translation by shifting the reading frame, potentially leading to a nonfunctional protein.
Step-by-step explanation:
Deleting or inserting one nucleotide pair in the middle of a gene is an example of a frameshift mutation. This type of mutation occurs when nucleotides are added (insertion) or removed (deletion) from a gene, which shifts the reading frame and alters the grouping of codons. Such a shift can result in a completely different translation from the original, drastically affecting the protein made by the gene. A frameshift mutation can alter every subsequent codon and may also create new and early stop codons. This mutation differs significantly from a base substitution or point mutation, which replaces one nucleotide with another but does not necessarily shift the reading frame. A missense mutation occurs when a point mutation results in the substitution of one amino acid for another within the protein, and a nonsense mutation occurs when a point mutation changes a codon to one that signals the end of translation.