genetic code
genetic code Arrangement of information stored in genes. It is the ultimate basis of heredity and forms a blueprint for the entire organism. The genetic code is based on the genes that are present, which, in molecular terms, depends on the arrangement of nucleotides in the long molecules of DNA in the cell chromosomes. Each group of three nucleotides specifies, or codes, for an amino acid, or for an action such as start or stop. By specifying which proteins to make and in what quantities, the genetic code directly controls production of structural materials. It also codes for enzymes, which regulate all the chemical reactions in the cell, thus indirectly coding for the production of other cell materials as well. See also genome
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genetic code
