Here's why:
* DNA and RNA are made of nucleotides: DNA and RNA are made up of chains of nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
* Codons specify amino acids: The sequence of three nucleotides (a codon) within a gene's DNA dictates which specific amino acid will be added to a growing protein chain during protein synthesis.
* 64 possible codons: There are four different nucleotides in DNA (Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine). This means there are 4 x 4 x 4 = 64 possible combinations of three nucleotides.
* 20 amino acids: While there are 64 codons, there are only 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins. This means that multiple codons can code for the same amino acid (this is called redundancy).
Let me know if you'd like more detail on the genetic code!
