codons and anticodons
What codons and anticodons means in Biology A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of codons and anticodons
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Reference: AQA
DNA triplets are transcribed into mRNA codons, and most codons are read by a complementary tRNA anticodon carrying a specific amino acid.
The bases on mRNA are read in triplets as codons, and a tRNA anticodon binds to a complementary mRNA codon by hydrogen bonds.
Codons are exposed bases read in threes on mRNA, while the anticodon is three exposed bases carried on one loop of tRNA.
Topics that use codons and anticodons
- Alteration of the sequence of bases in DNA can alter the (AQA A-Level)
- DNA and protein synthesis (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- alternative splicing
- amino acid sequence
- base analogues
- clover-leaf shape
- complementary base pairing
- DNA replication errors
- downstream codons
- frameshift
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