What Would Be the Most Likely Outcome If the Genetic

Question

What would be the most likely outcome if the genetic code was not degenerate?
A)The effect of some mutations would increase.
B)The effect of some mutations would decrease.
C)The mutation rate would remain the same.
D)The number of stop codons would increase.

Accepted Answer

If the genetic code was not degenerate, a mutation in a single nucleotide would always result in a change to the coded amino acid, rather than potentially coding for the same amino acid due to the degeneracy of the code. This would increase the potential for deleterious effects of mutations.