Meaning & use
genetic code
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingularbiologytechnical
The set of rules that tells cells how to build proteins from the information in DNA.
Grammar: Usually used with “the”: the genetic code. Not used in the plural in this sense.
Patterns
- the genetic code
- the genetic code for something
- break the genetic code
Scientists worked for years to understand the genetic code.
The genetic code is almost the same in all living things, from bacteria to humans.
A change in the genetic code can lead to a different protein being made.
Common combinations
- crack the genetic code
- Researchers cracked the genetic code in the 1960s.
- the universal genetic code
- The universal genetic code allows scientists to compare genes across species.
- read the genetic code
- Modern machines can read the genetic code quickly.
- a change in the genetic code
- A single change in the genetic code can cause a serious disease.
Synonyms and how they differ
- genome
- The genome is the complete set of DNA in an organism; the genetic code is the set of rules for reading that DNA.
- DNA sequence
- A DNA sequence is the actual order of letters in DNA; the genetic code is the system that gives those letters meaning.
Word family
Commonly confused: genetic code or genome?
genetic code vs genome
The genome is all the genetic material in a cell; the genetic code is the set of rules for translating that material into proteins.
Practice
What does “genetic code” mean?
Choose one answer.
The genetic code is the set of rules for making proteins from DNA. The first option describes the genome, the third is not scientific, and the fourth describes genetics as a field of study.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “genetic code”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.