While codons (combinations of three nucleotides) may vary in which do what functions, a long-standing rule was that each codon serves one specific purpose. New evidence, however suggests that ...

Researchers are adding new evidence to the emerging concept that 'silent' or synonymous mutations may have crucial consequences. Their study showed how a synonymous mutation in one gene can ...

Living organisms synthesize a staggering variety of proteins by combining 20 amino acids into chains of any length and order. In the past, to expand protein diversity beyond the scope of these 20 ...

Everything on Earth is made of atoms, most of which are closely packed together in the form of minerals. Life has its uses for minerals—ask a coral reef—but its essence lies in atoms arranged as ...