The 'language' of the nitrogenous bases of RNA is known as what?

• A. Genetic code
• B. Codon
• C. Anticodon
• D. Translation

Answer: (A)

The language for RNA bases is the genetic code. It’s the set of rules that translates three-nucleotide sequences, called codons, into the amino acids that build proteins. Each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal, and this mapping is read during translation by ribosomes with the help of tRNA molecules whose anticodons pair with the codons. Anticodons belong to tRNA and are part of how the code is read, while translation is the process of assembling the protein using the code. The genetic code is nearly universal and redundant, meaning multiple codons can encode the same amino acid, which helps protect against mutations. Start signals (like AUG) and stop signals further define where translation begins and ends.