Write your abstract here.
The mystery of genetic code is directly tied to the mystery of life itself. The genetic code
is a ubiquitous interface between inert genetic information and living organisms, as it plays a fundamental role in defining the process of evolution. Genetic code specifies how the information contained in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA is translated into the correct sequence of amino acids , building the highly specific proteins. Crick(1968) introduced the notion that the genetic code is simply the result of a pure chance or a simply “ frozen accident” and therefore does’nt need any further evolutionary explanation. Marshall Nirenberg (1961) deciphered the first letter of the code, a finding that stunned the scientific community when the result was presented at a biochemistry conference in Moscow in 1961Components of genetic codeGenetic information is stored as a linear array of
polymerized nucleotides (i.e. nucleic acid) . The genetic alphabet comprises four nucleotides:Two single ring pyrimidinesTwo double ring purinesThe protein alphabet of 20 amino acids. Genes store the information to make protein, which perform the biochemical catalysis of life. Proteins are polymerized linear array of amino acids.Properties of genetic codeCode is tripletCode is non-overlappingCode is degenerateCode is commalessCode is non-ambiguousCode is universalThe origin of the genetic code, whether a “frozen accident” or expansion from a primordial code with fewer amino acids, remains an enigma. The primary function of DNA is to carry genetic information through the genetic code. The genetic code and its pattern of codon defines the outcome of mutation which is the ultimate source of heritable biological variation , the form of code thus determines the pathways by which molecular evolution proceeds. The genetic code can be expanded to include a new amino acids (Wang ,2003). It provides new means for evolutionary study of the genetic code, and powerful tools for protein and cellular function both
in vivo and
in vitro.