Codon and genetic code are terms used to describe how genetic information is stored inside genetic material. The primary distinction between genetic code and codon is that the former is a system of rules used to store genetic information within DNA, while the latter is a nucleotide triplet that symbolises a specific protein.
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Codons
Cells encode mRNAs by reading them in three-nucleotide groups or sequences termed as codons. The majority of codons represent an amino acid. Also, a protein’s end is marked by three “stop” codons (UAG, UGA, UAA). Whereas AUG is a “start” codon that marks the start of a protein and also encodes for a specific amino acid, methionine. Every three nucleotides of the sense DNA strand or mRNA strand can be considered codons. The sequence of amino acids in a protein from the N-terminus to the C-terminus is specified by mRNA codons, which are read from 5′ to 3′.
Nucleic acids include four bases. As a result, these four bases can generate 64 distinct triplets, resulting in 64 codons. Three codons are known as stop codons because they do not code for amino acids. The remaining 61 codons produce various amino acids. Proteins include 20 distinct amino acids. As a result, each amino acid can be coded by many codons. Thus, the amino acid sequence of the protein can be easily constructed by studying the codon sequence.
Genetic Code
The genetic code refers to the entire collection of interactions between codons and amino acids. Many amino acids are represented by more than one codon.
Transcription is the process by which the genetic code of the sense strand of the gene is delivered to the mRNA strand. The mRNA strand then assembles the right base sequence to form the codon sequence, which is responsible for creating the amino acid sequence. A single base difference in the genetic code is enough to cause an incorrect amino acid sequence, resulting in incorrect protein production.
A table is frequently used to summarise the genetic code. Almost all species employ the below-shown genetic code for protein synthesis.
See more: MQCs on Protein Synthesis
Difference between Genetic Code and Codon
| Genetic Code | Codon |
|---|---|
| It is a set of rules used to translate genetic information that is encoded within the genetic material. | It refers to a three-nucleotide sequence that represents a particular amino acid. |
| Genetic code comprises codons which, in turn, represent amino acids in a protein. | Each codon represents a single amino acid of a protein. |
| In other words, a genetic code is a collection of codons. | A codon is a unit of genetic code. |
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Also Check:
| RNA Splicing |
|---|
| Difference between Transcription and Reverse Transcription |
| Difference between Transcription and Translation |
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