This occurs when one nucleotide base is substituted for another in a DNA sequence. The change can cause the wrong amino acid to be produced. In some cases, the change has little effect. In other cases, the incorrect amino acid can affect the structure or function of the protein being encoded. A missense mutation is a mistake in the DNA which results in the wrong amino acid being incorporated into a protein because of change, that single DNA sequence change, results in a different amino acid codon which the ribosome recognizes. Changes in amino acid can be very important in the function of a protein.