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Ch. 3 Cells: The Living Units
Marieb - Human Anatomy & Physiology 11th Edition
Marieb, Hoehn11th EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874034Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksMarieb, Hoehn 11th EditionCh. 3 Cells: The Living UnitsProblem 7
Chapter 3, Problem 7

The information sequence that determines the nature of a protein is:
a. Nucleotide
b. Gene
c. Triplet
d. Codon

Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that proteins are made up of amino acids, and the sequence of these amino acids is determined by genetic information.
Recognize that the genetic information is stored in DNA, where a specific segment called a gene contains the instructions for making a protein.
Know that a gene is composed of sequences of nucleotides, and groups of three nucleotides form a triplet, also known as a codon.
Each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis, thus determining the sequence of amino acids in the protein.
Therefore, the correct answer is the term that directly refers to the three-nucleotide sequence that codes for an amino acid, which is the codon.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Gene

A gene is a segment of DNA that contains the instructions for making a specific protein. It serves as the fundamental unit of heredity and encodes the sequence of amino acids in a protein through the process of transcription and translation.
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Codon

A codon is a sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis. Codons are the basic units of the genetic code that determine the order of amino acids in a protein.
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Triplet

A triplet refers to a set of three nucleotides in DNA that codes for one amino acid. It is the DNA equivalent of a codon in mRNA and is essential for translating genetic information into proteins.
Related Practice
Textbook Question

The nuclear substance composed of histone proteins and DNA is:

a. Chromatin

b. The nucleolus

c. Nucleoplasm

d. Nuclear pores

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Textbook Question

Membrane junctions that allow nutrients or ions to flow from cell to cell are:

a. Desmosomes

b. Gap junctions

c. Tight junctions

d. All of these

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Textbook Question

The phase of mitosis during which centrioles reach the poles and chromosomes attach to the spindle is

a. Anaphase

b. Metaphase

c. Prophase

d. Telophase

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Textbook Question

The RNA species that travels from the nucleus to the cytoplasm carrying the coded message specifying the sequence of amino acids in the protein to be made is

a. mRNA

b. tRNA

c. rRNA

d. all of these

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Textbook Question

The RNA synthesized on one of the DNA strands is:

a. mRNA

b. tRNA

c. rRNA

d. all of these.

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Textbook Question

Osmosis always involves:

a. A selectively permeable membrane

b. A difference in solute concentration

c. Diffusion

d. Active transport

e. a, b, and c

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