Transcription and Translation · USMLE Step 1

Which of the following is true about the genetic code used in translation?

  1. It is overlapping, with each nucleotide shared between several adjacent codons
  2. It is ambiguous, with a single codon coding for several different amino acids
  3. It is non-overlapping and universal, each codon specifying one amino acid
  4. It uses DNA codons read from the template strand to specify amino acids directly
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Correct answer: It is non-overlapping and universal, each codon specifying one amino acid

The genetic code is nearly universal, non-overlapping, and unambiguous: each three-nucleotide mRNA codon specifies a single amino acid (or a stop signal). It is not overlapping, not ambiguous, and reads mRNA codons rather than DNA directly.

Difficulty: Medium Question 19 of 22

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