How many three-letter combinations are present in the genetic code?
A)32
B)64
C)16
D)88

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The genetic code is read in three-letter combinations known as codons, each of which codes for a specific amino acid. Since there are 4 different nucleotides (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine in DNA; uracil replaces thymine in RNA), and each position in the codon can be occupied by any of the 4 nucleotides, the total number of possible combinations is 4^3 = 64.

How Many Three-Letter Combinations Are Present in the Genetic Code