What is the Difference Between Unambiguous and Degenerate Code?

The difference between unambiguous and degenerate code lies in the way the genetic code encodes amino acids:

• Unambiguous code: In an unambiguous code, each codon (a sequence of three nucleotide bases) encodes for only one specific amino acid, and there is no confusion or ambiguity in the coding. This means that a single codon can only code for one amino acid, and all living organisms have the same code for coding amino acids.
• Degenerate code: In a degenerate code, more than one triplet sequence can code for a specific amino acid. This means that there is redundancy in the genetic code, and most amino acids are encoded by more than one triplet. The genetic code is degenerate because many codons may code for the same amino acid.

In summary, an unambiguous code has a one-to-one correspondence between codons and amino acids, while a degenerate code has more than one codon encoding for the same amino acid, resulting in redundancy in the genetic code.

Comparative Table: Unambiguous vs Degenerate Code

Here is a table comparing unambiguous and degenerate codes:

In summary, unambiguous code is a type of genetic code where each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid, while degenerate code is a type of genetic code where one amino acid may be specified by more than one codon. The genetic code is both unambiguous and degenerate, as while a particular codon always codes for the same amino acid, some amino acids are specified by multiple codons.