Question

Is genetic code non-specific?

Answer 1

Genetic code:

1. The genetic code is a collection of rules that govern how DNA's four-letter code is translated into the 20-letter code of amino acids, which act as protein building blocks.
2. Codons are three-letter nucleotide pairings that each correspond to a different amino acid or stop signal in the genetic code.
3. In 1961, Francis Crick and his colleagues proposed the concept of codons.
4. In the same year, Marshall Nirenberg and Heinrich Matthaei began work on deciphering the genetic code.
5. From the four nucleotides, there are 64 potential permutations, or combinations, of three-letter nucleotide sequences.
6. There are 61 amino acids and three stop signals among the 64 codons.
7. The genetic code is regarded as degenerate, or redundant, because a single amino acid can be coded for by more than one codon, despite the fact that each codon is specialized for just one amino acid (or one-stop signal).
8. It's also worth noting that the genetic code does not overlap, which means that each nucleotide belongs to only one codon and cannot be found in two adjacent codons.
9. In addition, the genetic code is almost ubiquitous, with only a few minor differences observed.
10. For example, mitochondria have a genetic code that differs somewhat from the rest of the cell.