genetic code

American  

noun

1. the biochemical instructions that translate the genetic information present as a linear sequence of nucleotide triplets in messenger RNA into the correct linear sequence of amino acids for the synthesis of a particular peptide chain or protein.

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genetic code British  

noun

1. biochem the order in which the nitrogenous bases of DNA are arranged in the molecule, which determines the type and amount of protein synthesized in the cell. The four bases are arranged in groups of three in a specific order, each group acting as a unit (codon), which specifies a particular amino acid See also messenger RNA transfer RNA

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genetic code Scientific  

/ jə-nĕt′ĭk /

1. The sequence of nucleotides in DNA and RNA that serve as instructions for synthesizing proteins. The genetic code is based on an “alphabet” consisting of sixty-four triplets of nucleotides called codons. The order in which codons are strung together determines the order in which the amino acids for which they code are arranged in a protein.

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genetic code Cultural  

1. The code that translates the sequence of nucleotides in genes along the DNA strand into the structure of protein, which, through its action as an enzyme, governs one chemical reaction in the cell. A simple mnemonic is “One gene codes for one protein which runs one reaction.”

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Discover More

All living things share the same genetic code, a fact that represents strong evidence for evolution. Unraveling the genetic code was one of the great scientific achievements of the twentieth century, and it opened the way to genetic engineering.

Etymology

Origin of genetic code

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The genetic code is usually described as nearly universal because most organisms use the same basic rules.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

Follow up work has strengthened the idea that ciliates are unusually rich sources of genetic code surprises.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

Scientists said Crinkle had become the first of her species, which is endangered in the wild, to have her complete genetic code decoded.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Crucially, the model can predict the impact of changing even a single letter in genetic code.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

It was as if the aliens had come down to Earth at last but what they wanted was not our genetic code, or our fresh water, or our electric guitars.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day