Final answer:
Sickle cell anemia is caused by a frameshift mutation, leading to a distorted hemoglobin protein and characteristic sickle-shaped red blood cells.
Explanation:
The type of mutation that causes sickle cell anemia is a frameshift mutation. A frameshift mutation occurs when the addition or deletion of nucleotides shifts the reading frame of the genetic code, leading to a completely different protein being synthesized.
For example, in sickle cell anemia, a single nucleotide substitution results in the alteration of one amino acid, causing the hemoglobin protein to be misshapen, leading to the characteristic sickle-shaped red blood cells.
In contrast to frameshift mutations, silent mutations do not affect the resulting protein sequence, missense mutations substitute one amino acid for another, and insertions involve the addition of extra nucleotides without shifting the reading frame.
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