: a gene mutation involving the substitution, addition, or deletion of a single nucleotide base
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebIf a point mutation makes the virus less likely to survive, that variant gradually dies off. Vivek Ramaswamy, WSJ, 10 Jan. 2022 Antigenic drift is a gradual, varying process: A single-point mutation alters one peptide, or building block, of a larger protein. Vivek Ramaswamy, WSJ, 10 Jan. 2022 Funding provided by the bike-a-thon has been put toward the development of 41 cancer drugs and the discovery of new medical techniques that can pin-point mutations that cause cancer, as well as other research efforts by the cancer center.BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2019 But preliminary research by Navin and collaborators suggests that point mutations — changes to individual DNA letters — accumulate more slowly.Quanta Magazine, 13 Nov. 2013 This flaw is especially problematic because tens of thousands of genetic diseases are results of such point mutations.The Economist, 26 Oct. 2017
Word History
First Known Use
1925, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
point mutation
noun
: a gene mutation involving the substitution, addition, or deletion of a single nucleotide base