A sequence of three nucleotides (DNA or RNA building blocks) that specifies which amino acid should be added during protein synthesis, or signals to stop.
From code + -on (a suffix used in physics and genetics). Coined in the 1960s during the genetic revolution to describe the basic unit of genetic code.
There are exactly 64 codons and only 20 amino acids, so multiple codons code for the same amino acid—this redundancy is why some genetic mutations don't cause problems.
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