Question

When more than one codon codes for the same amino acid, what is this called?
A. Universal nature of genetic code
B. Redundancy of genetic code
C. Punctuation in genetic code
D. Continuous nature of genetic code

Answer 1

Hint: A codon is triplet i.e. consists of three bases. Two codons of mRNA may code for a single amino acid. This property is called degeneracy.

Complete answer: The process of protein synthesis is called translation. As we know, mRNA contains many bases. Three of such bases make up a codon that codes for specific amino acids. There are 64 such codons.
In the translation process, those ‘codes’ of nitrogen bases are ‘translated’ or decoded into amino acids that make a polypeptide.
Usually one codon codes for a single amino acid. But exceptionally, more than one codon may code for the same amino acid e.g. GAA and GAG both code for glutamic acid. This property is called redundancy or degeneracy.

So, the correct option is B. Redundancy of genetic code

Note: Marshall Nirenberg and Har Gobind Khorana along with their colleagues had deciphered the genetic code in 1965. There is a start codon AUG that codes for methionine and the three stop codons are UGA, UAG, and UAA.