Final answer:
The correct term for mRNA being read from a fixed starting point without skipping any bases is 'reading frame'. This ensures a continuous and non-overlapping triplet sequence during the process of translation in protein synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that refers to the fact that every base in a sequence of mRNA is read from a fixed starting point, without skipping any bases or 'punctuation,' is known as the reading frame. The reading frame is established by the start codon AUG, after which codons are read successively in groups of three bases (triplets), from the 5' to 3' direction, until a stop codon is reached. This process ensures a continuous, non-overlapping sequence that dictates the amino acid sequence of a protein during translation, which is part of the protein synthesis process.
During transcription, genetic instructions in DNA are transcribed into mRNA, which then undergoes translation to form proteins. The mRNA sequence is read as non-overlapping triplets, each specifying an amino acid. The process is co-linear, meaning that the sequence of amino acids in a protein directly corresponds to the sequence of triplet codons in mRNA, without any interruptions or overlaps between them. For example, after the AUG start codon, the next set of three nucleotides is read as the second codon, and so on, until a stop codon such as UAG, UGA, or UAA, which does not code for any amino acids, signals the end of translation.