Anticodon

/ˈæn.ti.koʊ.dɑn/ noun

Definition

A three-unit sequence on transfer RNA that pairs with a corresponding codon on messenger RNA during protein synthesis.

Etymology

From 'anti-' (opposite) + 'codon' (genetic code sequence). Molecular biology term coined in the 1960s when the genetic code was being deciphered.

Kelly Says

Anticodons are molecular matchmakers—think of them as puzzle pieces that recognize and lock onto complementary pieces on messenger RNA, ensuring the right amino acids get added to growing proteins.

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