Question

The portion of the tRNA that permits proper sequencing of amino acids to occur on the mRNA strand ______.

Options

• is a codon.

• is an anticodon.

• is specific for a specific amino acid.

• all of the above.

Answer 1

The portion of the tRNA that permits proper sequencing of amino acids to occur on the mRNA strand is an anticodon.

Explanation:

The specific portion of the tRNA molecule that ensures amino acids are placed in the correct order is the anticodon. This is a sequence of three nucleotides that is perfectly complementary to a specific codon on the mRNA strand. During translation, the anticodon binds to the mRNA codon through base pairing, allowing the tRNA to deliver its specific amino acid to the growing protein chain at exactly the right moment. While each tRNA is specific to one amino acid, it is the anticodon that physically performs the matching and sequencing on the mRNA.