The
genetic code is the set of rules by which information encoded within genetic material (
DNA or
mRNA sequences) is
translated into
proteins by living
cells. Biological decoding is accomplished by the
ribosome, which links
amino acids in an order specified by mRNA, using
transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules to carry amino acids and to read the mRNA three
nucleotides at a time. The genetic code is highly similar among all organisms and can be expressed in a simple table with 64 entries.