Question

What does the term "genetic code" refer to? Choose one:

A. the principle that genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein
B. the linear sequence of nucleotides in a gene
C. the correspondence between the four-letter nucleotide alphabet of DNA and the 20-letter amino acid alphabet of proteins
D. the set of genes encoded in an organism's DNA
E. the fact that, for all living things on Earth, genetic information is encoded in DNA

Answer 1

The 'genetic code' is the set of rules that dictates how sequences of three nucleotides (codons) in DNA and mRNA correspond to specific amino acids in proteins.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term "genetic code" refers to the correspondence between the four-letter nucleotide alphabet of DNA (A, T, C, G), its RNA counterpart (A, U, C, G), and the 20-letter amino acid alphabet of proteins. This code is the set of rules by which information encoded in genetic material (DNA or mRNA sequences) is translated into proteins by living cells. The code defines how sequences of three nucleotides, called codons, correspond to specific amino acids or a stop signal during protein synthesis. This translation occurs during a process involving mRNA which is transcribed from DNA, and subsequently read by the cell's machinery to synthesize proteins.