Here's the breakdown:

* Triplets: These are sequences of three consecutive nucleotides within a DNA molecule.

* Codons: These are sequences of three consecutive nucleotides within an mRNA molecule.

How they relate:

1. DNA to mRNA: During transcription, the DNA sequence is copied into a complementary mRNA sequence.

2. Triplets to Codons: Each triplet in the DNA sequence corresponds to a codon in the mRNA sequence.

Function:

Codons are the fundamental units of the genetic code. Each codon specifies a particular amino acid, or signals the start or stop of protein synthesis.

Therefore, both triplets and codons are crucial for the process of protein synthesis, but they exist within different molecules (DNA and mRNA, respectively).