In the context of codon mutations, what is referred to as the 'wobble position'?

The term 'wobble position' refers specifically to the third base of a codon in the context of codon mutations and the genetic code. In the genetic code, a codon consists of three nucleotide bases. The first two bases of the codon are crucial for determining which amino acid will be added to a growing polypeptide chain, while the third base can often vary without affecting the amino acid that is specified by the codon. This variability is due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, where multiple codons can code for the same amino acid.

Because of this characteristic, alterations at the wobble position may not result in a change to the amino acid sequence of a protein. For example, if the third base of a codon is changed, it could still code for the same amino acid due to the redundancy of the genetic code, allowing for some mutations to be silent (meaning they do not affect the protein's function). This property of the third base to accommodate certain substitutions makes it less critical for the fidelity of protein synthesis, thus earning the nickname 'wobble position'.