Final answer:
The different types of point mutations are substitution, insertion, deletion, and duplication. These mutations include the replacement of a single nucleotide, the addition or removal of nucleotides that may cause a frameshift, or the replication of DNA segments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Types of Point Mutations
The different types of point mutations are substitution, insertion, deletion, and duplication. A substitution involves the replacement of a single base nucleotide with another nucleotide, which can further be categorized into transitions (purine to purine or pyrimidine to pyrimidine) and transversions (purine to pyrimidine or pyrimidine to purine). An insertion or deletion of a single base pair can lead to a frameshift mutation, altering the reading frame of the genetic code. Duplication occurs when a segment of DNA is duplicated, leading to additional genetic material.
Frameshift mutations are a result of insertion or deletion mutations that change the way the sequence is read, which can have a significant effect on the resulting protein. In the context of this question, translocation, which is the movement of a segment of DNA to a new location in the genome, is not considered a type of point mutation.
The answer to the student's question about the different types of point mutations is option (A): Substitution, Insertion, Deletion, and Duplication.