In this lecture, we're going to focus primarily on the point mutation, also known as a base pair mutation. Now, what exactly is a point mutation? Basically, when a mutation takes place on a single nucleotide on the DNA molecule, such a mutation is known as a point mutation. Now, our point mutation can either take place on the non coding region of the DNA, the region that does not code for any protein, or it can take place on the gene on the coding region that codes for a protein. In either case, if our mutation if the point mutation takes place on either our non coding region or on the coding region, and if the mutation does not actually cause any significant damage, any significant change, such a point mutation is known as a silent mutation. Now, it's kind of obvious why a point mutation on a noncoding region will lead to silent mutation.