Deciphering the Genetic Code — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptMarshall Nirenberg's cell-free system for protein synthesis finally helped the code to be deciphered. Severo Ochoa enzyme (polynucleotide phosphorylase) was also helpful in polymerising RNA with defined sequences in a template independent manner (enzymatic synthesis of RNA). Finally a checker-board for genetic code was prepared which is given in Table 5.1.
Which of the following statements about the properties of the genetic code are correct, particularly in the context of its deciphering using synthetic RNAs? S1. The triplet nature of the code allowed scientists like Har Gobind Khorana to synthesize RNA molecules with defined combinations of bases. S2. The degeneracy of the genetic code, where some amino acids are coded by more than one codon, simplifies the process of protein synthesis in cell-free systems. S3. The non-overlapping and contiguous reading of the code ensures that each nucleotide is part of only one codon, which was crucial for accurate translation of synthetic homopolymers. S4. The universality of the genetic code allowed Marshall Nirenberg's cell-free system (from bacteria) to be used to decode codons that are applicable across most organisms. S5. Severo Ochoa enzyme (polynucleotide phosphorylase) was used for template-dependent synthesis of RNA, aiding in decoding of the genetic code.
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