Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Codons
Codons are sequences of three nucleotides in mRNA that correspond to specific amino acids or stop signals during protein synthesis. Each codon is part of the genetic code, which translates the information encoded in DNA into functional proteins. Understanding codons is essential for interpreting genetic information and determining the amino acid sequence of proteins.
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Amino Acids
Amino acids are organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins. There are 20 standard amino acids, each with a unique side chain that determines its properties and role in protein structure and function. The sequence of amino acids in a protein is dictated by the corresponding codons in the mRNA, making it crucial to know which codons correspond to which amino acids.
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Genetic Code
The genetic code is a set of rules that defines how sequences of nucleotides in DNA and RNA are translated into amino acids. It is universal among almost all organisms and consists of 64 codons that specify 20 amino acids and three stop signals. Familiarity with the genetic code is vital for accurately translating codons into their respective amino acids, such as identifying the amino acid for the codon AUC.
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