A triplet in the genetic code codes for which of the following?

A triplet in the genetic code codes for which of the following?

• A. Nucleotide
• B. Protein
• C. Gene
• D. Amino acid

Answer: (D)

A codon, a three-nucleotide sequence in mRNA, is read during translation to determine which amino acid will be added next to the growing protein chain. This direct link—each codon specifying a particular amino acid (with some codons serving as signals to stop translation)—is why a triplet codes for an amino acid. Nucleotides are the building blocks, but one codon doesn’t become a nucleotide by itself. A gene is a DNA segment that contains instructions, and a protein is the final product made of amino acids, not the immediate output of a single codon. Keep in mind that some codons signal termination rather than encoding an amino acid, but the essential idea is that the triplet maps to a specific amino acid to build proteins.

A codon, a three-nucleotide sequence in mRNA, is read during translation to determine which amino acid will be added next to the growing protein chain. This direct link—each codon specifying a particular amino acid (with some codons serving as signals to stop translation)—is why a triplet codes for an amino acid. Nucleotides are the building blocks, but one codon doesn’t become a nucleotide by itself. A gene is a DNA segment that contains instructions, and a protein is the final product made of amino acids, not the immediate output of a single codon. Keep in mind that some codons signal termination rather than encoding an amino acid, but the essential idea is that the triplet maps to a specific amino acid to build proteins.