In genetics, what type of mutation involves a change in one or a few nucleotides within a DNA sequence?

• A. Chromosomal inversion
• B. Point mutation
• C. Nondisjunction
• D. Polyploidy

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that mutations are changes in the genetic material, and they can occur at different scales, such as large chromosomal changes or small changes within the DNA sequence.
2. Recognize that a chromosomal inversion involves a segment of a chromosome being reversed end to end, which affects a large portion of DNA rather than just a few nucleotides.
3. Know that nondisjunction refers to the failure of chromosome pairs to separate properly during cell division, leading to an abnormal number of chromosomes, not changes in nucleotide sequences.
4. Learn that polyploidy is a condition where an organism has more than two complete sets of chromosomes, which is a large-scale genomic change rather than a small nucleotide change.
5. Identify that a point mutation specifically refers to a change in one or a few nucleotides within a DNA sequence, making it the correct type of mutation described in the problem.