codon

American  

[koh-don] / ˈkoʊ dɒn /

noun

Genetics.

1. a triplet of adjacent nucleotides in the messenger RNA chain that codes for a specific amino acid in the synthesis of a protein molecule.

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codon British  

/ ˈkəʊdɒn /

noun

1. genetics biochem a unit that consists of three adjacent bases on a DNA molecule and that determines the position of a specific amino acid in a protein molecule during protein synthesis

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codon Scientific  

/ kō′dŏn′ /

1. A sequence of three adjacent nucleotides on a strand of a nucleic acid (such as DNA) that constitutes the genetic code for a specific amino acid that is to be added to a polypeptide chain during protein synthesis. Some amino acids are coded for by more than one codon, and some codons do not signal a particular amino acid but rather signal a stop to protein synthesis.

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codon Cultural  

1. A group of three bases on the DNA molecule. Each codon determines the identity of one amino acid in proteins made by the cell.

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Etymology

Origin of codon

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; code + -on ¹

Compare meaning

How does codon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• codon vs. anticodon

Example Sentences

They designed mRNAs that would prompt cells in a dish to produce a fluorescent protein only if a ribosome “slips” and starts to read the three-letter codons incorrectly, a mistake known as a frameshift.

From Science Magazine

Ciliates are hotspots for genetic code changes, including reassignment of one or more stop codons -- the codons TAA, TAG, and TGA.

From Science Daily

Various sequences of three DNA nucleotides, called codons, tell a cell which amino acid to install where in a protein.

From Science Magazine

Recognizing that trait in each other, Seth and Kimberly bond over their parallel irregularities: his obsession with anagrams and her genetically scrambled codons.

From New York Times

Many such mutations result in what’s called a premature stop codon, which essentially writes ‘The End’ in the middle of the gene’s protein-making instructions.

From Nature