Molecular Basis of Inheritance Question 45
45. From the following, identify the correct combination of salient features of Genetic Code.
[2019, Odisa]
(a) Degenerate,Non-overlapping,Nonambiguous
(b) Universal, Non-ambiguous, Overlapping
(c) Degenerate, Overlapping, Commaless
(d) Universal, Ambiguous, Degenerate
Show Answer
Answer : a
Hints & Solution
(a) Genetic code is the sequence of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) that determines the amino acid sequence of proteins. Genetic code is universal, unambiguous, non overlapping and degenerate in nature Over the course of several years, Marshall Nirenberg, Hargobind Khorana and Severo Ochoa and their colleagues elucidated the genetic code - showing how nucleic acids with their 4-letter alphabet determine the order of the 20 kinds of amino acids in proteins. Even in organisms that don’t use the “standard” code, the differences are relatively small, such as a change in the amino acid encoded by a particular codon. A genetic code shared by diverse organisms provides important evidence for the common origin of life on Earth
