The Genetic Code in RNA to Amino Acid Sequences

Translation Process: The conversion of an mRNA nucleotide sequence to a polypeptide amino acid sequence occurs at the ribosome. - Prokaryotes: Transcription and translation occur simultaneously in the cytoplasm. - Eukaryotes: Transcription occurs in the nucleus; translation occurs in the cytoplasm at ribosomes.
Genetic Code: Consists of codons (three-letter sequences) on mRNA that specify particular amino acids. - Each codon is complementary to the DNA template strand and specifies an amino acid.
Characteristics of the Genetic Code: - Codons: 64 possible codons (4 bases combinatorial in triplets) but only 20 amino acids. - Redundancy: More than one codon can code for the same amino acid. For instance, leucine has six codons. - Not ambiguous: Each codon specifies only one amino acid. - Nearly universal across all species, with few exceptions (e.g., mitochondrial codons).
Codon Examples: