Download Kent Noreen G. Modanza III-Galileo GENETIC CODE The genetic

Kent Noreen G. Modanza
III-Galileo
GENETIC CODE
The genetic
code is
the
set
of
rules
by
which
information
encoded
in
genetic
material
(DNA ormRNA sequences) is translated into proteins (amino acid sequences) by living cells.
The code defines how sequences of three nucleotides, called codons, specify which amino acid will be
added next during protein synthesis. With some exceptions,[1] a three-nucleotide codon in a nucleic acid sequence
specifies a single amino acid. Because the vast majority of genes are encoded with exactly the same code (see
the RNA codon table), this particular code is often referred to as the canonical or standard genetic code, or
simply the genetic code, though in fact there are many variant codes. For example, protein synthesis in
human mitochondria relies on a genetic code that differs from the standard genetic code.
Not all genetic information is stored using the genetic code. All organisms' DNA contains regulatory
sequences, intergenic segments, chromosomal structural areas, and other non-coding DNA that can contribute
greatly to phenotype. Those elements operate under sets of rules that are distinct from the codon-to-amino acid
paradigm underlying the genetic code.