In what way might a point mutation in dna make a difference in the function of a protein?

A point mutation can either be silent, missense, or nonsense. In silent mutations, the codon is changed but the encoded amino acid is not changed. This is because different codons code for the same amino acids. Missense mutations will have a significant effect on the protein because the amino acid is replaced by another. A nonsense mutation will result to a fragmented protein because the mutation will lead to the formation of a stop codon which will stop the translation process.