DNA Damage Caused by Nitrous Acid Results in ________ Mutations

Question

DNA damage caused by nitrous acid results in ________ mutations.
A) insertion
B) substitution
C) deletion
D) frameshift
E) both insertion and deletion

Accepted Answer

Nitrous acid causes a specific type of DNA damage called deamination, where a nitrogenous base is converted to a different base through the removal of an amino group. This can result in a base substitution mutation, where a different base is incorporated into the DNA sequence, altering the genetic code. Therefore, the best choice is B, substitution.