Mutations are changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA that can occur in somatic or germ cells. Most mutations are neutral, but some can be harmful or beneficial. There are several types of mutations including point mutations, insertions, deletions, and frameshift mutations. Point mutations involve a single nucleotide change and can cause diseases like sickle cell anemia. Frameshift mutations shift the reading frame and often prevent proteins from functioning properly. Mutations can have different effects depending on whether they are silent, cause an amino acid substitution, or result in a premature stop codon.