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Name: Chris
Status: Student
Grade:  9-12
Location: IN
Country: United States
Date: January 2009
Question:
How do scientists know that the genetic code is based on triplet codons (three bases for every amino acid)? Why can't it be just two bases?


Replies:
There are thousands of experiments that support the triplet code theory, but the most obvious evidence against the doublet code is that you can only code for 4 x 4 =16 different codons but there are 20 different amino acids that must be coded for.

Ron Baker, Ph.D.


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