Silent mutations are mutations in DNA that do not have an observable effect on the organism's phenotype. They are a specific type of neutral mutation. The phrase silent mutation is often used interchangeably with the phrase synonymous mutation; however, synonymous mutations are not always silent, nor vice versa.

What is an example of a silent mutation?

Silent mutations are base substitutions that result in no change of the amino acid or amino acid functionality when the altered messenger RNA (mRNA) is translated. For example, if the codon AAA is altered to become AAG, the same amino acid – lysine – will be incorporated into the peptide chain.

What is the meaning of silent mutation?

A silent mutation is a form of mutation that does not cause a significant change in the amino acid. As a result, the protein is still functional. Because of this, the changes are regarded as though they are evolutionarily neutral.