... 20 commonly occurring amino acids in living organisms. The base triplets of mRNA are known as codons and the genetic code is degenerate because some amino acids are coded for by more than one codon. The Genetic code has to undergo DNA replication because this is essential for the growth and reproduction of organisms. DNA replication occurs by a semi-conservative mechanism. When DNA replicates the double helix uncoils into two separate strands, as hydrogen bonds between the polynucleotide strands are broken. Each of the strands acts as a template for the formation of a new complementary strand. Nucleotides bind to each template strand by specific base pairing and they are joined together by the enzyme DNA polymerase to form a polynucleotide strand. The two new DNA molecules are identical to each other and to the original DNA and the new-formed DNA molecule contains one of the original polynucleotide strands; therefore ...

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