By Team Aakash Byju's
The genetic code is universal, indicating that the code specifies the same amino acid from a virus to a tree or a human person.
Each code represents only one amino acid and not any other.
A code is made up of three contiguous nitrogen bases and indicates the location of one amino acid in a polypeptide.
The genetic code shows a definite direction. It is always read in the 5’ → 3’ direction, not the 3’ → 5’ direction else the message will be misinterpreted.
The code indicating that each base belongs to only one code and adjacent codes do not overlap.
Between successive codes, there are no gaps or punctuations.
Because a single amino acid can be coded by more than one code, the genetic code is defined as degenerate.