Final answer:
It takes three nucleotides or "letters" of an RNA molecule to code for a single amino acid, which corresponds to a codon. Nitrogen, which has an atomic number of seven, has its electrons arranged in two shells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the genetic code and how it's read during the process of protein synthesis. Each amino acid in a protein is coded for by a sequence of three nucleotides in an RNA molecule. This sequence of three nucleotides is known as a codon. Therefore, to answer the question: How many "letters" of an RNA molecule, in sequence, does it take to provide the code for a single amino acid?, the correct option is c. 3.
When discussing nitrogen and its electron configuration, the atomic number indicates the number of protons and, in a neutral atom, the number of electrons. For nitrogen, with an atomic number of seven, it will have electrons arranged in two shells: the first shell can hold up to 2 electrons, and the next shell can hold up to 8 electrons. Therefore, nitrogen has its electrons in two shells, making the correct answer to the question b. two.