Question

How many codons in total exist in the genetic code?

Options

• 64 codons

• 16 codons

• 4 codons

• 20 codons

Answer 1

Since each codon is made of three consecutive nucleotides and there are 4 possible bases, the total number of possible codons is \[4^3 = 64\]. Out of these 64 codons, 61 code for amino acids while 3 are stop codons (UAA, UAG, and UGA).