triplet code
1
6.5
- noun
- /ˈtrɪplɪt koʊd/
- Specialized
:
código de triplete
- This constraint was a natural extension of comma-freedom for a single strand and was called "transposability." Once it is imposed, triplet codes can no longer code for the 20 amino acid residue types known to occur in proteins.
Essentially, they found that combinations of three nucleotide additions or three deletions were OK, suggesting a triplet code.
- Essentially, they found that combinations of three nucleotide additions or three deletions were OK, suggesting a triplet code.
Examples
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Triplet codes can now code for at most 16 residue types because the "converse" of each meaningful triplet, as determined by base pairing, must, when read from right to left, also belong to the set of coding triplets.
Academic text (1996) -
First, there was the problem of potential degeneracy: if 64 triplets code for only 20 residues, then in some cases several triplets would code for a single residue.
Academic text (1996) -
The triplet code determines which amino acids are built during protein synthesis.
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Each triplet code in DNA corresponds to a specific amino acid in a protein.
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Understanding the triplet code is crucial for decoding genetic information in living organisms.
Synonyms
18
3.5
The order of letters in DNA or RNA that tells cells how to make proteins
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is compositionally transparent: 'triplet' means a unit of three and 'code' denotes a system of mapping or symbols, so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a coding system based on groups of three. Although the full molecular details (nucleotides/amino acids) are technical, the core meaning is directly predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Triplet code comes from the idea of reading DNA like a message of three-letter words: each triplet is a group of three building blocks and a short code word that tells the cell which 'amino acid' to add when making a 'protein'.