Question

In a solution of ATP, GTP, and UTP with the enzyme polynucleotide phosphorylase, how many artificial mRNA 3-nucleotide codons would be possible?

A) 3.
B) 6.
C) 9.
D) 27.

Answer 1

In a solution of ATP, GTP, and UTP with the enzyme polynucleotide phosphorylase, there would be 27 possible artificial mRNA 3-nucleotide codons.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a solution of ATP, GTP, and UTP with the enzyme polynucleotide phosphorylase, there would be a total of 27 possible artificial mRNA 3-nucleotide codons.

The genetic code is made up of four nucleotide bases: A (adenine), U (uracil), G (guanine), and C (cytosine). Using a three-nucleotide code, there are a total of 4^3 = 64 possible combinations. However, three of these codons (UGA, UAA, and UAG) are stop codons that signal the termination of protein synthesis. Therefore, the remaining 61 codons specify the addition of amino acids to the polypeptide chain.