Codons that specify same amino acids are called

Options

A. synonyms
B. autonyms
C. synergestic
D. antagonistic

Answer

To answer the question "Codons that specify the same amino acids are called," we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Codons**:
- Codons are sequences of three nucleotides in mRNA that correspond to specific amino acids.

2. **Total Codons and Amino Acids**:
- There are a total of 64 possible codons (4 nucleotides, A, U, C, G, taken three at a time: 4^3 = 64).
- However, there are only 20 standard amino acids that these codons can code for.

3. **Redundancy in Codons**:
- Because there are more codons than amino acids, some amino acids are specified by more than one codon. This phenomenon is known as redundancy or degeneracy of the genetic code.

4. **Examples of Codons Coding for the Same Amino Acid**:
- For instance, the codons GAA and GAG both code for the amino acid glutamic acid.

5. **Terminology**:
- The question asks for the term that describes codons that specify the same amino acids.
- In linguistic terms, synonyms are words that have the same or similar meanings. Therefore, codons that specify the same amino acids are referred to as "synonyms."

6. **Conclusion**:
- The correct answer to the question is that codons that specify the same amino acids are called **synonyms**.

### Final Answer:
Codons that specify the same amino acids are called **synonyms**.