The genetic code is made up of a total of 64 base triplets or codons. At least one codon encodes the information for each of the 20 amino acids used in the synthesis of proteins during translation.

These codons are also known as nonsense codons or termination codons as they do not code for an amino acid. The three STOP codons have been named as amber (UAG), opal or umber (UGA) and ochre (UAA).

A central tenet of biology may need updating given new measurements of start codons. For decades, scientists working with genetic material have labored with a few basic rules in mind. To start ...

The 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins are encoded by a total of 61 codons, or sequences of three DNA bases. Glycine is thought to be the most primitive amino acid, but it has not been ...

By contrast, the envisioned quadruplet system, based on four-letter codons, could encode 256 (4 4) distinct amino acids. Obviously, most of those would not exist in natural proteins, although some ...

This second genetic code, which makes use of dual-use codons, or duons, specifies how genes are controlled. The discovery emerged from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements Project, also known as ENCODE.

When a ribosome cruises along messenger RNA (mRNA), it may stall at a particular codon, depending on which codons are nearby. In other words, codon context can influence the efficiency with which ...