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genetic code

genetic code

18 3.5
The order of letters in DNA or RNA that tells cells how to make proteins
  • noun
  • /dʒəˈnɛtɪk koʊd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : código genético
  • You're going to hear about genes or pieces of DNA, pieces of your genetic code that translate to RNA and then make proteins.
  • the entire genetic code
  • the genetic code of a Neanderthal
  • tinkering with the genetic code

So genetic mutations are errors in your genetic code that lead to Alzheimer's.

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Examples

  • Instead, our genetic code is more like a series of switches.

  • The genetic code is composed of sequences that instruct cells to produce specific proteins essential for life.

  • Some people carry a disease in their genetic code.

  • So now let's see on exactly the same scale what the genetic code of a human being looks like.

  • And, if their genetic code was pure, many of them would look quite different.

  • There are long sequences of genetic code in all of us that are apparently useless.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Any hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code.

  • By manipulating genetic code we learned to heal wounds, cure disease all in a matter of seconds.

  • As humans begin to tinker with the genetic code, they are in effect assuming godlike powers.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Could humankind, by tinkering with its genetic code, gain immortality?

    Academic text (2003)

Synonyms

triplet code
vsgenetic code
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A way that uses groups of three DNA letters to tell cells which parts to use to make proteins

is the broader nucleotide sequence system that determines all genetic information

Surface Forms

genetic code singular
genetic codes plural

Morphology

genetic + code

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'genetic' (relating to genes) with 'code' (a system of instructions): it denotes the informational sequence in genes that directs biological processes. This composition and the metaphor of 'code' as instruction are cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will very likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The term genetic code comes from the idea that the order of tiny parts in the genetic material works like a secret code or 'recipe' that tells a cell what to make. So the phrase means the exact order that directs the cell to build proteins, and changing that order can change the result.