GJHeducation

Edexcel International A-level

Biology

2.11
The nature of the genetic code
 The genetic code is
described as being
near universal and
degenerate and non-
overlapping
 This is actually fairly important……
As you’re about to see on the next slide,
the genetic code is governed by the triplet
code. This is because a set of 3
nitrogenous bases, which is known as a
DNA triplet, encodes for 1 amino acid (or
a stop codon)
 N E A R UN I V E R S A L
In almost all living organisms, the same triplet of
DNA bases codes for the same amino acid

The triplet code GAT The triplet code GAT

on human DNA on horse DNA

Which is transcribed Which is transcribed

to CUA on human to CUA on horse
mRNA mRNA

And encodes for the And encodes for the

amino acid LEUCINE amino acid LEUCINE
in humans in horses
 Mathematical skills check
There are 4 different bases on nucleic acids and the
base sequence is read in groups of 3

Use this fact to calculate the number of DNA

triplets (or RNA codons) in the genetic code. You
must show your working (1 mark)

4 x 4 x 4 = 64
 64
Could be Could be Could be
A, T, G or C A, T, G or C A, T, G or C

4 x 4 x 4

4 = 64
3
 This might just prove useful……
A degenerate word code is one in
which several code words have the
same meaning.
The degenerate nature of the genetic
code works in much the same way as
most of the amino acids are encoded
for by more than one codon
 RNA codon table
This table shows the 64 RNA
codons and the 20
proteinogenic amino acids
that each one codes for. You
are not expected to recall the
codons or the amino acids,
but you will be expected to
use this table to identify the
sequence of amino acids
which are encoded for by a
sequence of codons that had
been transcribed from DNA
 For example, if the
DNA triplet was TAC,
the codon which
would be carried on
mRNA would be AUG
and then the table
shows that this
codon encodes for
the amino acid
Methionine (Met)
The genetic code is described as non-overlapping
because the three nucle otide bases of one codon
are distinct from the nucleotide bases of the
adjacent codon

U G C U G C C A G A A A A G C

This creates a reading frame where each distinct

codon will be read and encode for a specific amino
acid
 1 TO THINK ABOUT
You have 5 minutes to discuss as a class
Base deletions and the genetic code
No.
Earlier in the lesson you discovered that the
Base deletions are an example of
degenerate nature of the genetic code meant that
a
not frameshift mutation.
all base substitutions Asasoon
caused changeasinathe
nucleotide
sequence base isamino
of the encoded removed, every
acids. But can the
samereading
be said about
framebase deletions? By of
downstream considering
the
your latest understanding of the genetic code,
mutation is shifted and every amino
discuss whether a mutation which removes a base
acid
downstream
can also result inofnothe mutation
change will be
to the primary
structurechanged
of a polypeptide