Question

Because there are three different possible reading frames in a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, most mRNAs can be translated in a cell into three different proteins. true false

Answer 1

False

Step-by-step explanation:

In the genetic code, each triplet of nucleotides (i.e., each codon) determines one specific amino acid or one-stop codon. The genetic code is not overlapping, which means that the same letter in the genetic code (nucleotide) cannot be used for two different codons. There are 64 possible combinations of triplets of nucleotides, 61 of them determine amino acids, while three triplets determine stop codons (UAG, UAA, and UGA) that indicate the termination of translation. Moreover, the genetic code is also degenerate, which means that one amino acid can be coded by more than one codon.