A mutation is any change in genetic material that is passed on to the next generation. The process of acquiring change in genetic material forms the fundamental underpinning of evolution. Mutation is a source of genetic variation in all life forms. Depending on the organism or the source of the mutation, the genetic alteration may be an alteration in the organized collection of genetic material, or a change in the composition of an individual gene.

Mutations may have little impact, or they may produce a significant positive or negative impact, on the health, competitiveness, or function of an individual, family, or population.

Mutations arise in different ways. An alteration in the sequence, but not in the number of nucleotides in a gene is a nucleotide substitution. Two types of nucleotide substitution mutations are missense and nonsense mutations. Missense mutations are single base changes that result in the substitution...