the genetic code Flashcards
what is degenerate?
more than one codon can code for the same amino acid
what does the term genetic code mean?
the sequence of nucleotide bases on mRNA which code for an amino acid
what does the genetic code encode?
the information in genes and these determine what we look like and how we develop
how many nucleotides code for an amino acid?
3
what does it mean if the code is degenerate?
more than one codon can code for the same amino acid
what does it mean if the codon is universal?
the same codon codes for the same amino acid in all organisms
how many codons don’t code for any amino acids?
3
what is the DNA base sequence?
a sequence of bases in DNA that codes for the sequence of amino acids in a protein
how many amino acids are coded for by DNA?
20
why do 3 bases code for 1 amino acid?
because if 1 did, 4^1 is only 4 bases, 4^2 is only 16 bases, therefore 4^3 is 64 bases which is enough
what is a codon?
a sequence of 3 adjacent nucleotides in mRNA that codes for 1 amino acid
