Question

A genetic code, in which two or more codons specify for a single amino acid, is called __________.

• A. commaless
• B. degenerate
• C. overlapping
• D. ambiguous

Hint:

Think of the term used when several codons code for the same amino acid, like leucine having six codons.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Consider leucine, serine and arginine, each of which is encoded by six different codons, while methionine and tryptophan are encoded by only one codon each.

Step 2: This pattern, where one amino acid corresponds to several possible codons, is the defining feature of a property called degeneracy of the genetic code.

Step 3: It should not be confused with ambiguity, which would mean a single codon coding for more than one amino acid, since the real genetic code is never ambiguous, each codon specifies only one amino acid or a stop signal.

Step 4: The property being described here is therefore \[\boxed{\text{degenerate}}\]