The Rosetta Stone: The Genetic Code Chart

If amino acids are the ingredients and the codons are the instructions, then once the instructions are finished, the ingredients are linked together. If amino acids link together in a chain, then the resulting molecule is a protein.

If mRNA carries a message in a sequence of bases, then we need a tool to figure out what protein those bases build. If the chart provides the translation for every triplet, then it serves as the master key for protein synthesis.

If a codon is the basic unit of the genetic code, and if a codon consists of exactly three nitrogenous bases, then the chart must be organized into groups of three to be accurate.

If the chart is designed to translate the messages sent to the ribosome, then it must use the bases found in RNA. If RNA uses Uracil instead of the Thymine found in DNA, then Uracil is the fourth base on the chart.

If the human body and most other organisms build all their proteins from a specific set of biological building blocks, and if there are 20 of these blocks, then the chart will show those 20 amino acids.

If the ribosome needs to know when to finish building a protein, then it looks for specific "punctuation" sequences. If UAA, UAG, and UGA do not code for amino acids, then they act as the signals to stop.

If a bacteria cell and a human cell both read the codon CCG as the amino acid Proline, then the code is shared across species. If it is shared across all life, then the chart is described as universal.

If a protein cannot begin assembly at just any random spot, then it needs a specific "green light" signal. If AUG is that specific signal, then it is the start codon.

If the chart is organized by position, then you find the first 'U' on the left, the second 'U' on the top, and the third 'U' on the right. If you follow those three points to where they meet, then you find the amino acid Phenylalanine.

If there are 64 possible combinations but only 20 amino acids, then some amino acids must have multiple codes. If this redundancy exists, then a small mistake in one base might not change the final protein.

If the chart is used during the process of translation at the ribosome, then it must use the "messenger" language. If the messenger is mRNA, then the chart uses RNA bases (A, U, C, G) rather than DNA bases.

If the genetic "language" uses three-letter words to represent single building blocks, then each of those three-letter units is scientifically defined as a codon.

If the order of bases determines the amino acid, then reading "GAC" (Aspartic acid) backwards as "CAG" (Glutamine) changes the building blocks. If the building blocks change, then the protein will not fold or work correctly.

If the chart is a reference tool for translation, then it must list the code and the result. If the result is an amino acid, then the chart shows its full name and its shorthand abbreviation.

If many amino acids are coded by four different codons that all start with the same two letters, then the third letter is less critical. If this "wobble" exists, then the protein is protected from small genetic errors.

If you locate the first base G, second base G, and third base G on the grid, then you will see they intersect at the box for Glycine.

If you have three variables (base 1, 2, and 3), then you need a 3D or organized 2D layout to track them. If a grid or wheel organizes these by position, then the user can find the correct amino acid quickly.

If each codon represents one amino acid, then three identical codons in a row will attract three of the same amino acids. If these amino acids link together, then you get a specific peptide chain.

If most codons represent amino acids, but three of them (UAA, UAG, UGA) represent "Stop" signals, then not every codon results in a physical building block. If a Stop codon is reached, then no amino acid is added.

If a protein is just a long chain of smaller units, and if those units are amino acids, then the chart is the tool used to determine that specific order or sequence.