Final answer:
The codon from the list that codes a different amino acid than the others is UUC. UUA and UUG both code for leucine (Leu/L), while UUC and UUU code for phenylalanine (Phe/F).
Step-by-step explanation:
The codon that codes for a different amino acid than the others in the list provided (UUA, UUG, UUC, UUU) is UUC. Looking at the standard genetic code, UUA and UUG both code for the amino acid leucine (Leu/L), while UUC and UUU code for phenylalanine (Phe/F).
Therefore, codons UUA and UUG are synonymous, both coding for leucine, whereas UUU also codes for phenylalanine, leaving UUC as the codon that also codes for phenylalanine but is different from UUA and UUG in terms of the amino acid it specifies.
In molecular biology, understanding the genetic code is crucial because it is the set of rules used by living cells to translate the information encoded within genetic material (DNA or mRNA sequences) into proteins. Translation is the process by which ribosomes in the cytoplasm or ER synthesize proteins after the process of transcription of DNA to mRNA in the cell nucleus.
The genetic code is highly conserved throughout nature and is virtually the same in all organisms, from bacteria to humans.