Genetic code

The genetic code is the set of rules by which information encoded within genetic material (DNA or mRNA sequences) is translated into proteins by living cells. Biological decoding is accomplished by the ribosome, which links amino acids in an order specified by mRNA, using transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules to carry amino acids and to read the mRNA three nucleotides at a time. The genetic code is highly similar among all organisms and can be expressed in a simple table with 64 entries.

The code defines how sequences of nucleotide triplets, called codons, specify which amino acid will be added next during protein synthesis. With some exceptions, a three-nucleotide codon in a nucleic acid sequence specifies a single amino acid. Because the vast majority of genes are encoded with exactly the same code (see the RNA codon table), this particular code is often referred to as the canonical or standard genetic code, or simply the genetic code, though in fact some variant codes have evolved. For example, protein synthesis in human mitochondria relies on a genetic code that differs from the standard genetic code.

Nucleotide

Nucleotides are organic molecules that serve as the monomers, or subunits, of nucleic acids like DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). The building blocks of nucleic acids, nucleotides are composed of a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and at least one phosphate group. Thus a nucleoside plus a phosphate group yields a nucleotide.

Nucleotides function to carry packets of energy within the cell in the form of the nucleoside triphosphates (ATP, GTP, CTP and UTP), playing a central role in metabolism. In addition, nucleotides participate in cell signaling (cGMP and cAMP), and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions (e.g. coenzyme A, FAD, FMN, NAD, and NADP⁺).

In experimental biochemistry, nucleotides can be radiolabeled with radionuclides to yield radionucleotides.

Structure

A nucleotide is made of a nucleobase (also termed a nitrogenous base), a five-carbon sugar (either ribose or 2-deoxyribose) depending on if it is DNA or RNA, and one or, depending on the definition, more than one phosphate groups. Authoritative chemistry sources such as the ACS Style Guide and IUPAC Gold Book clearly state that the term nucleotide refers only to a molecule containing one phosphate. However, common usage in molecular biology textbooks often extends this definition to include molecules with two or three phosphate groups. Thus, the term "nucleotide" generally refers to a nucleoside monophosphate, but a nucleoside diphosphate or nucleoside triphosphate could be considered a nucleotide as well.