Final answer:
Francis Crick's adaptor hypothesis refers to the role of transfer RNA (tRNA) in protein synthesis, where they act as adaptors matching specific amino acids to codons on mRNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
Francis Crick proposed that certain types of RNA molecules were involved in the incorporation of amino acids into a polypeptide chain in the adaptor hypothesis. The adaptor molecules that Crick was referring to are now known as transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules.
These tRNA molecules carry specific amino acids to the ribosome, where proteins are synthesized, and match them with the appropriate codons on messenger RNA (mRNA). This matching is done through the use of an anticodon, a specific sequence of three bases on the tRNA molecule complementary to the mRNA codon.
This mechanism is essential for translating the genetic code into functional proteins and illustrates the close relationship between nucleotides in RNA and amino acids in proteins, confirming the insights of Crick and others into the fundamental workings of molecular biology.