Here is a handy reference table that lists the 20 amino acids, the codons that call for the amino acid and the three letter designation for each amino acid.
As you know, there are 20 different amino acids that code for all the different proteins that are manufactured within a cell. The genetic information necessary for building proteins is encoded in a series of three mRNA nucleotides. Each combination of three mRNA nucleotides is called a codon. Each codon codes for a specific amino acid.
This chart lists the 64 codons and the animo acids they code for. Also included is the three letter designation for each amino acid. When I teach protein synthesis, I always give the students a 15 to 21 nitrogen base pair sequence to “de-code”. Students must supply the mRNA codons, the tRNA anti-codons, and the amino acid sequence for the protein. Students use the above reference table to supply the names of the amino acids in their given protein.
Happy Teaching!
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