Difference Between Codon and Anticodon

When a human being is made to look a certain way or have a certain personality trait, it is as a result of DNA and RNA. These two types of genetic materials include a vast amount of information that is uniquely sequenced for each individual living thing. The basic information that you’ll find within DNA and RNA is known as a nitrogenous base and includes A-Adenine, T-Thymine, U-Uracil, C-Cytosine, and G-Guanine. Proteins and other amino acids are created to make a 3-base unit. When one of the base units is turned into the codon, the other unit transforms into the anticodon.

What is a Codon?

There are 3 nucleotides within DNA and RNA that are combined to create a codon. There is a sequence of bases that are within each of the nucleotides that will select the type of amino acid that is the most compatible while protein is being synthesized. When DNA is being translated, the process begins with an initiation codon and will end with a termination codon. While the DNA is being translated, there is the possibility of errors to occur which turn into mutations.

Codons can be read from relatively anywhere in the base sequence, making it possible for 6 different types of proteins to be made. In total, there are over 64 different types of codon sequences that can be formed with nitrogenous bases with infinite sequences within each grouping. You will find that codons determine what type of anticodon should be brought next with an amino acid in order to create a strand of protein.

What is an Anticodon?

You can find anticodons within tRNA (transfer RNA) and like codons; an anticodon is a sequence of nitrogenous bases. These nucleotide sequences correspond with codons found within mRNA (messenger RNA). By attaching to amino acids, anticodons determine which type of amino acid should be brought to the protein strand. After the amino acid has been bound to the protein, the tRNA including the anticodon is released from the amino acid.

One of the most interesting factors of an anticodon and codons is that the anticodon found in tRNA is exactly the same as the codons you’d find in a strand of DNA. The main difference is that the T in DNA is found as a U in anticodons. Anticodons are also never found inside of DNA and are always present in RNA, whereas codons are present in both DNA and RNA.

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