What is the Difference Between Genetic Code and Codon?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The genetic code and codon are essential concepts in gene expression and protein synthesis. The main difference between them is as follows:
- Genetic Code: The genetic code is a set of rules used to translate genetic information encoded within the genetic material (DNA or RNA) into amino acids in a protein. It is the complete sequence of nucleotides in a gene, responsible for the correct order of the amino acids of the protein to be synthesized. The genetic code is often summarized in a table, which shows the relationships between codons and amino acids or stop signals.
- Codon: A codon is a three-nucleotide sequence that represents a particular amino acid in a protein. Codons are the basic units of the genetic code, and genetic code is a collection of codons. There are 64 different codons, with 61 specifying amino acids and 3 used as stop signals. Each codon instructs the cell to start, add a specific amino acid to, or stop the creation of the protein chain.
In summary, the genetic code is the overall sequence of nucleotides in a gene that encodes the information for protein synthesis, while a codon is a specific three-nucleotide sequence within the genetic code that represents a single amino acid or a stop signal in the protein.
Comparative Table: Genetic Code vs Codon
The genetic code and codons are essential components of gene expression and protein synthesis. Here is a table highlighting the differences between them:
Genetic Code | Codon |
---|---|
A set of rules used to translate genetic information encoded within genetic material. | A three-nucleotide sequence that represents a particular amino acid. |
Comprises codons, which in turn represent amino acids in a protein. | Each codon represents a single amino acid of a protein. |
In other words, a genetic code is a collection of codons. | A codon is a unit of genetic code. |
The genetic code is a universal system of rules used to translate genetic information encoded within nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) into amino acid chains in proteins. The genetic code is often summarized in a table, which shows the relationships between codons and amino acids or stop signals. Codons are the three-letter sequences of mRNA nucleotides that correspond to a specific amino acid or a stop codon.
- Codon vs Anticodon
- Start Codon vs Stop Codon
- Gene vs DNA
- Coding vs Noncoding DNA
- Gene vs Protein
- Gene vs Genome
- DNA vs mRNA
- Genetics vs Genomics
- Gene vs Chromosome
- mRNA vs tRNA
- Allele vs Genotype
- DNA vs Protein Sequence
- Transcription vs Translation in DNA
- Pseudogene vs Gene
- Codominance vs Multiple Alleles
- Operon vs Cistron
- Transcription vs Translation
- Amino Acid vs Nucleotide
- DNA vs RNA