The triplet code
The code carried by the DNA is a triplet code. Each adjacent group of 3 bases codes for an amino acid. Several triplets code for the same amino acid; others are start signals or stop signals (chain terminators).
From DNA to proteins
The DNA in our chromosomes carries the genetic information from one generation to he next. It carries the codes that help determine the structure and function of cells by telling the cells which proteins to make. But DNA is in the nucleus, and proteins are made in the cytoplasm. DNA cannot pass through the membranes surrounding the nucleus into the cytoplasm. A 'copy of the DNA is made. This 'copy' is made from another type of nucleic acid called, ribonucleic acid, RNA. This RNA can leave the nucleus, carrying the information to the cytoplasm where it is used in the manufacture of proteins.
What is the difference between DNA and RNA?
An RNA molecule has a single strand made of a string of RNA molecules. These are very similar in structure to DNA nucleotides except they contain ribose sugar and not deoxyribose. Another difference is that in RNA nucleotides, the base Uracil (U), replaces thymine, so RNA never contains thymine.
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