A silent mutation involves a nucleotide change that does not alter the amino acid sequence due to the redundancy of the genetic code. This means the protein's primary structure remains unchanged, typically preserving its function. In contrast, missense, nonsense, and frameshift mutations change the amino acid sequence, often leading to altered or truncated proteins. Understanding silent mutations is crucial in genetic analysis, as they may not have direct clinical effects despite DNA sequence changes.

Reference: Robbins Basic Pathology, Kumar V et al., 10th Edition.