Final answer:
The triplet code's feature that allows many amino acids to be specified by more than one codon is referred to as being degenerate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The genetic code's specification that a single amino acid can be encoded by multiple codons is known as degeneracy. In other words, the genetic code is degenerate because of the presence of more nucleotide triplets than amino acids, allowing for multiple codons to encode the same amino acid. This characteristic of the genetic code, in which many amino acids are specified by more than one codon, provides a buffer against the potential damages of random mutations, ensuring that small changes in the DNA sequence might not result in a completely nonfunctional protein.
The genetic code is redundant, meaning that a given amino acid can be encoded by more than one codon. This is known as degeneracy. For example, the amino acid threonine can be coded for by four different codons. The redundancy of the genetic code helps prevent errors in protein synthesis and reduces the negative impact of mutations.