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frameshift
This term is a highly specialized technical expression used almost exclusively in genetics and molecular biology. It describes a catastrophic error in the translation of genetic code, where the entire reading frame of a DNA or RNA sequence is displaced, typically leading to a non-functional protein or a premature stop codon.
In a clinical or research context, the word carries a strong connotation of disruption and dysfunction. It is rarely used metaphorically in general English, as its meaning is tied strictly to the triplet nature of codons in biological sequences.
Meanings
A genetic mutation caused by the insertion or deletion of a number of nucleotides in a DNA sequence that is not divisible by three, resulting in a shift of the reading frame and the alteration of all subsequent amino acids in the protein.
The patient's condition was caused by a frameshift mutation in the CFTR gene.