genetic code

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.

genetic code

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

genetic code

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.

genetic code

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.”

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of genetic code¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

It helps the body mend strands of DNA and keeps the genetic code in each cell intact.

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The Oregon Health and Science University research team's technique takes the nucleus – which houses a copy of the entire genetic code needed to build the body – out of a skin cell.

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It was used to help decipher the genetic code, and in the 1970s it became the first organism to be genetically engineered when foreign DNA was inserted into it – laying the foundation for modern biotechnology.

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Conversely, making an mRNA vaccine requires just sequencing the virus’s genetic code – a process that today takes just hours.

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The team aims to use this information to confirm how many species there are, how they are related to each other and what part of their genetic code gives them their extraordinary, unique colour patterns.

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