Synonymous Changes That Arise Within Coding Sequences of Genes

Question

Synonymous changes that arise within coding sequences of genes
A)generally have no effect on the phenotype.
B)are usually detrimental to fitness.
C)may be eliminated by natural selection.
D)occur more frequently than nonsynonymous changes.
E)B and C only

Accepted Answer

Synonymous changes do not affect the amino acid sequence and therefore have no impact on the phenotype.

Note: Option B is incorrect as synonymous changes are not expected to be deleterious. Option C could be true, but it depends on whether the synonymous changes affect other aspects of gene function or regulation. Option D is not necessarily true as nonsynonymous changes can occur at similar rates.