Crack open a biology textbook and you will find the table summarizing the standard genetic code. This refers to the set of rules by which the cell “decodes” the information contained in DNA and “translates” it into the amino acids that make up proteins. For example, in virtually all organisms, the codon (3-letter DNA sequence) AGA tells the translation machinery to add the amino acid asparagine. While a few deviations in the genetic code used by various organisms are known, research published earlier this year in Molecular Biology and Evolution and in the current issue of Genome Biology and Evolution suggests that a much larger number of variations present in the genetic codes of all living organisms.
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Source: Phys.org