Codon
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- A group of three nucleotides that specifies addition of one of the 20 amino acids during translation of an mRNA into a polypeptide. Strings of codons form genes and strings of genes form chromosomes. (See Initiation codon, Termination codon.)
Susan Allender-Hagedorn and Charles Hagedorn - Cite This Source - This Definition - One of the groups of three consecutive nucleotides in mRNA, which represent the unit of genetic coding by specifying a particular amino acid during the synthesis of polypeptides in a cell. Each codon is recognized by a tRNA carrying a specific amino acid, which is incorporated into a polypeptide chain during protein synthesis. In DNA, any informative triplet of bases, including both coding and control sequences. See: genetic code, start codon, stop codon. Synonym: triplet. See: annex 3.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization - Cite This Source - This Definition - codon optimization, degeneracy, Genetic code, Initiation codon, leader sequence, missense mutation, release factor, start codon, translational initiation signal, translational start codon, universality
- Three bases in a DNA or RNA sequence which specify a single amino acid. See also
National Human Genome Research Institute - Cite This Source - This Definition - See: genetic code
Human Genome Project - Cite This Source - This Definition - Annotation, Code, Data warehouse, Exon, Genetic code, junk DNA, non-coding DNA, nonsense mutation, Open reading frame (ORF)