Final answer:
A codon is a group of three nucleotides on mRNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis. The genetic code is a collection of these codons, each which dictates the amino acid sequence of a protein. This is key to translating genetic information into functional proteins.
Step-by-step explanation:
A codon refers to a consecutive sequence of three nucleotides on an mRNA molecule. This specific sequence determines the insertion of a specific amino acid in a polypeptide chain during the synthesis of proteins. The genetic code is essentially a collection of these codons; each codon corresponds to one amino acid or a stop signal during the protein synthesis process. The sequence of codons in an mRNA molecule dictates the sequence of amino acids in a protein, which subsequently folds into a distinct three-dimensional structure and performs its biological functions.
In biology, the concept of the genetic code as a series of three-letter codes is crucial. These triplets are read in order, translating the nucleotide-based genetic instructions into the 'language' of amino acids for the creation of a specific protein product. Each three-letter code specifies a particular amino acid, and through this process, the relation between an mRNA codon and its corresponding amino acid is established. The discovery that amino acids are encoded by nucleotide triplets was significant in understanding how genetic information is translated into functional proteins.
Essentially, the genetic code is a universal code of three-base codons that encodes genetic instructions for the amino acid sequences of proteins. The insertion or deletion of nucleotides in the genetic code can cause a frameshift mutation, which alters the reading frame and potentially changes the entire sequence of amino acids, leading to a malformed protein.