| genetic code n. The sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that determines the specific amino acid sequence in the synthesis of proteins. It is the biochemical basis of heredity and nearly universal in all organisms. genetic coding n. |
genetic code
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biochemistry) Biochem the order in which the nitrogenous bases of DNA are arranged in the molecule, which determines the type and amount of protein synthesized in the cell. The four bases are arranged in groups of three in a specific order, each group acting as a unit (codon), which specifies a particular amino acid See also messenger RNA, transfer RNA
genetic code (j -n t  k) The sequence of nucleotides in DNA and RNA that serve as instructions for synthesizing proteins. The genetic code is based on an "alphabet" consisting of sixty-four triplets of nucleotides called codons. The order in which codons are strung together determines the order in which the amino acids for which they code are arranged in a protein. |
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| Noun | 1. | genetic code - the ordering of nucleotides in DNA molecules that carries the genetic information in living cells ordering, ordination, order - logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements; "we shall consider these questions in the inverse order of their presentation" triplet code - the normal version of the genetic code in which a sequence of three nucleotides codes for the synthesis of a specific amino acid |
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