The nucleotides in the mRNA are read as triplets and they are called what?
The correct answer and explanation is:
The nucleotides in the mRNA are read as triplets and are called codons.
A codon is a sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis. The process of reading codons is crucial in translating the genetic information from DNA into functional proteins. This translation occurs in the ribosome, where mRNA is used as a template to build a protein.
Each codon in mRNA consists of three nucleotides, and each combination of these nucleotides codes for a specific amino acid. There are 64 possible codons, which come from the four nucleotides (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil) arranged in triplets. Out of these 64 codons, 61 code for amino acids, while the remaining three are stop codons, signaling the end of protein synthesis.
The process of translation begins when the mRNA, after being transcribed from DNA, binds to the ribosome. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bring the corresponding amino acids to the ribosome, where the anticodon of the tRNA pairs with the codon of the mRNA. This pairing ensures the correct amino acid is added to the growing polypeptide chain. The ribosome continues reading the mRNA codons until it encounters a stop codon, at which point the newly synthesized protein is released.
The genetic code is nearly universal across all living organisms, which means that the same codons generally code for the same amino acids, making the process of translation highly conserved in biology. This universality is fundamental for the consistency and predictability of genetic expression across diverse species.