Q.Explain 'Wobble hypothesis' with the help of a suitable diagram.
You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.
Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Crick's wobble hypothesis states that while the first two codon-anticodon base pairs follow strict Watson-Crick rules, the third (3') codon base pairs more loosely with the first (5') anticodon base, permitting non-st...
Flexible pairing at the codon's third position lets a single tRNA decode more than one codon for the same amino acid.
The genetic code is degenerate — most amino acids are specified by more than one codon (synonymous codons), which commonly differ only at their third base. Francis Crick's wobble hypothesis explains how the cell can decode all these synonymous codons without needing a separate, perfectly-matched tRNA for every single one. It proposes that pairing between the first two bases of the mRNA codon and the corresponding last two bases of the tRNA anticodon must follow strict Watson-Crick complementarity (A-U, G-C). However, pairing at the third (3') base of the codon with the first (5') base of the anticodon is less geometrically constrained and 'wobbles', permitting some non-standard base pairs. For example, an anticodon ending in G can pair with a codon ending in either C (standard) or U (wobble); and an anticodon containing the modified base inosine (I) can pair with a codon ending in U, C, or A. A simple diagram would show the strict pairing at codon positions 1 and 2 versus the flexible, wobble pairing at position 3 (e.g. codon 5'-GCU-3'/5'-GCC-3' …
Unlock everything free for 14 days
- Full step-by-step solutions
- Concept-first explanations
- Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
- PYQ mapping + timed mock tests
Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.