degenerate code

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degenerate code A genetic code in which the number of sense codons exceeds the number of amino acids, with the consequence that some amino acids are coded by more than one codon. This results in two-fold degenerate sites in DNA coding regions where one possible nucleotide change is synonymous and the other two are nonsysonymous, and four-fold degenerate sites where all nucleotide changes are synonymous.

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