BACK TO codon
codon vs. anticodon
codon vs. anticodon: What's the difference?
A codon is a sequence of three nucleotides in messenger RNA that determines the position of amino acids when a cell starts making proteins. An anticodon is a sequence of three nucleotides in transfer RNA that binds to a corresponding codon and designates a specific amino acid. The anti- in anticodon means “opposite to”—in reference to how it corresponds to the codon.
[ koh-don ]
noun
- a triplet of adjacent nucleotides in the messenger RNA chain that codes for a specific amino acid in the synthesis of a protein molecule.
[ an-tee-koh-don, an-tahy- ]
noun
- a sequence of three nucleotides in a region of transfer RNA that recognizes a complementary coding triplet of nucleotides in messenger RNA during translation by the ribosomes in protein biosynthesis.