What are codons composed of?

Codons are specific sequences of three nucleotide bases in mRNA (messenger RNA) that correspond to a specific amino acid or signal the termination of protein synthesis. Each codon translates into a particular amino acid during the process of translation in protein synthesis, which is critical for building proteins in living organisms.

Nucleotide bases are the fundamental building blocks of DNA and RNA, consisting of adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U) in RNA. The triplet nature of codons (three nucleotides together) allows for 64 possible combinations, which is sufficient to code for all 20 standard amino acids as well as signal start and stop points in protein synthesis. Understanding the structure of codons is essential for grasping how genetic information is translated into functional proteins.