What is the Difference Between Codon and Anticodon?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Codons and anticodons are both three-nucleotide sequences that play crucial roles in protein synthesis. The main differences between them are as follows:
- Location: Codons are found on messenger RNA (mRNA), while anticodons are found on transfer RNA (tRNA).
- Function: Codons code for specific amino acids during translation, while anticodons bind to the corresponding mRNA sequence and designate a specific amino acid.
- Complementarity: Codons are complementary to the nucleotide triplet of a gene in the DNA, while anticodons are complementary to the codons in mRNA.
- Presence: Codons are present in both DNA and RNA, while anticodons are present only in the anticodon arm of tRNA.
- Number: One mRNA molecule can contain multiple codons, while each tRNA molecule contains only one anticodon.
- Specificity: Codons are unambiguous and specific, meaning one codon can code for only one amino acid. There are three codons that do not code for any amino acid and serve as signals for stopping protein synthesis (UGA, UAG, and UAA).
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Codon and Anticodon? Comparative Table: Codon vs Anticodon
Comparative Table: Codon vs Anticodon
Here is a table highlighting the differences between codons and anticodons:
Feature | Codon | Anticodon |
---|---|---|
Definition | A codon is a combination of three sets of nucleotides found in DNA and RNA strands. | An anticodon is a corresponding nucleotide sequence to the codon in messenger, mRNA. |
Location | Codons are located on the mRNA molecule. | Anticodons are located on the tRNA molecule. |
Function | Codons help in determining the position of amino acids. | Anticodons help in bringing the specific amino acids through codon. |
Complementarity | Codons are complementary to the three nucleotides sequence of the template strand. | Anticodons are complementary to codons. |
In summary, codons are found on mRNA molecules and help determine the position of amino acids, while anticodons are found on tRNA molecules and help bring specific amino acids to the codon. Both codons and anticodons are complementary to each other, ensuring the correct amino acids are brought together to create a protein.
Read more:
- Genetic Code vs Codon
- Start Codon vs Stop Codon
- mRNA vs tRNA
- Aminoacyl tRNA vs Peptidyl tRNA
- Amino Acid vs Nucleotide
- Sense vs Antisense Strand
- Transcription vs Translation
- a Ribonucleotide vs a Deoxyribonucleotide
- RNA Interference vs Antisense Oligonucleotide
- Amino Acid vs Nucleic Acid
- RNA vs mRNA
- DNA vs mRNA
- Operon vs Cistron
- Antigen vs Antibody
- DNA vs RNA Nucleotide
- Nucleotide vs Nucleic Acid
- Transcription vs Translation in DNA
- Cytosine vs Cysteine
- Nucleotide vs Nucleoside