Final answer:
The anticodon that would bind to the mRNA codon 5'-CAG-3' is 3'-GUC-5', with base pairing rules ensuring correct anticodon-codon matching for protein synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The anticodon that would bind to a codon with the sequence 5'-CAG-3' would be 3'-GUC-5'. Anticodons are sequences of three nucleotides on a tRNA molecule.
They are complementary to the specific codon on an mRNA molecule. Given that in RNA, adenine (A) pairs with uracil (U) and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G), the complement to 5'-CAG-3' would be 3'-GUC-5', because C pairs with G, A pairs with U, and G pairs with C.
This anticodon-codon pairing is critical for the process of translation, where mRNA codons are decoded into a sequence of amino acids during protein synthesis.