Which term describes a three-nucleotide sequence of DNA or RNA that specifies an amino acid or termination signal?

Which term describes a three-nucleotide sequence of DNA or RNA that specifies an amino acid or termination signal?

• A. Mutation
• B. Anticodon
• C. Codon
• D. Solution

Answer: (C)

Codon is the term for a three-nucleotide sequence that specifies an amino acid or a termination signal. In translation, the ribosome reads mRNA in these three-nucleotide units, and each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid (though several codons can code for the same amino acid) or to a stop signal that ends protein synthesis. A start codon, like AUG, marks where translation begins and also codes for methionine. The anticodon, by contrast, is the complementary three-nucleotide region on tRNA that pairs with the codon to bring in the correct amino acid. A mutation is a change in the nucleotide sequence, and a solution isn’t related to this genetic coding process.

Codon is the term for a three-nucleotide sequence that specifies an amino acid or a termination signal. In translation, the ribosome reads mRNA in these three-nucleotide units, and each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid (though several codons can code for the same amino acid) or to a stop signal that ends protein synthesis. A start codon, like AUG, marks where translation begins and also codes for methionine. The anticodon, by contrast, is the complementary three-nucleotide region on tRNA that pairs with the codon to bring in the correct amino acid. A mutation is a change in the nucleotide sequence, and a solution isn’t related to this genetic coding process.