genetic code

noun

: the biochemical basis of heredity consisting of codons in DNA and RNA that determine the specific amino acid sequence in proteins and appear to be uniform for nearly all known forms of life

Examples of genetic code in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the central issues is that HIV is a shapeshifter: The virus’s genetic code mutates at the highest rate known to science. —Annalisa Merelli and Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 17 May 2024

AlphaFold 3 can model large molecules such as DNA and RNA, which carry genetic code, but also much smaller entities, including metal ions. —Will Knight, WIRED, 8 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

genetic code

noun

: the chemical code that is the basis of genetic inheritance and consists of units of three linked chemical groups which specify particular kinds of amino acids used to make proteins or which start or stop the process of making proteins

Medical Definition

genetic code

noun

: the biochemical basis of heredity consisting of codons in DNA and RNA that determine the specific amino acid sequence in proteins and that appear to be uniform for all known forms of life

genetic coding noun