What is genetic code? List the properties of genetic code.
The code language of DNA and mRNA is complementary. So, genetic code is the sequence of nucleotides in DNA and RNA that determines the amino acid sequence in proteins. Some amino acids are specified by more than one codon. The sequence of nucleotide on the tRNA molecule which complements the codon is called anticodon, e.g. one of the codons for the amino acid leucine is CUG and the anticodon is GAC. Similarly, the codon for phenylalanine is UUU, while the anticodon is AAA. Properties of genetic code: The following properties of genetic code have now been proved by experimental evidence. The code is a triplet. The code is degenerate. The code is non¬overlapping. The code is commaless. The code is non-ambiguous. The code is universal, Collinearity. Both polypeptide and DNA or mRNA have a linear arrangement of their components. The term code letter stands for a nucleotide A, T, G, or C in DNA and A, U, G, or C in RNA. The sequence of three does not code for any amino acid, such codons are called a non-sense codon, e.g. UGA.
