Question

A hypothesis that the first two bases of the codon and the last two bases of the anticodon form canonical Watson-Crick base pairs. But pairing between the 3rd base of the codon and 1st base of ANTICODON follows less stringent rules; more flexible, doesn't have to be a perfect match.

A) Wobble hypothesis
B) Antiparallel hypothesis
C) Codon-anticodon hypothesis
D) Base-pairing hypothesis

Answer 1

The wobble hypothesis, proposed by Francis Crick, explains the flexible base-pairing rules between the third base of a codon and the first base of an anticodon, enabling a single tRNA to recognize multiple codons that differ only at the third position.

Step-by-step explanation:

The hypothesis that describes the pairing rules for the codon and anticodon, particularly noting that the third base of the codon can engage in less stringent base-pairing with the first base of the anticodon, is known as the wobble hypothesis.

This hypothesis, proposed by Francis Crick, explains why the third base of a codon can be variable and still code for the same amino acid, due to the flexibility in pairing at this position. Wobbling allows for a single transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule to recognize multiple codons that differ only in their third base, thereby increasing the efficiency of the protein synthesis process.

The codon-anticodon interaction is critical for the translation of the mRNA sequence into a specific amino acid sequence, as it ensures that the appropriate amino acid is incorporated into the growing polypeptide chain.