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).

Start codons are important to understand because they mark the beginning of a recipe for translating RNA into specific strings of amino acids (i.e., proteins).

Multiplex suppression of four quadruplet codons via tRNA directed evolution. Nature Communications , 2021; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25948-y Cite This Page : ...

Glycine is thought to be the most primitive amino acid, but it has not been clear how codons for other amino acids evolved. Masayori Inouye and colleagues analyzed 4,225 protein-coding genes in ...

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 ...