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  4. In the genetic code dictionary, how many codons are used to code for all the 20 essential amino acids ?

Q. In the genetic code dictionary, how many codons are used to code for all the 20 essential amino acids ?

 1988  170 AIPMTAIPMT 2003Molecular Basis of Inheritance Report Error

Solution:

Genetic code is non-ambiguous. Non- ambiguous code means that there is no ambiguity about a particular code. One codon specifies only one amino acid and not any other. There are 64 codons. Out of 64, 3 are stop codons or nonsense codons, i.e., these do not code for any amino acid and rest 61 code for one of the 20 amino acids. Neither of them code for more than one amino acids except GUG which normally code for valine but in certain conditions it also codes for N-formyl methionine as initiation codon.