How many possible codons can be formed from the genetic code?

The genetic code is based on the sequence of nucleotide triplets in messenger RNA (mRNA), where each triplet, known as a codon, encodes a specific amino acid or serves as a stop signal during protein synthesis. Since there are four different nucleotides in RNA—adenine (A), uracil (U), cytosine (C), and guanine (G)—the number of possible codons can be calculated by considering all possible combinations of these nucleotides in groups of three.

To determine the total number of codons, we use the formula for combinations, which is 4 to the power of 3 (4^3). This calculation results in:

4 × 4 × 4 = 64

Thus, the total number of possible codons that can be formed from the genetic code is 64. This includes codons that code for the 20 standard amino acids as well as three stop codons, which signal the termination of protein synthesis. The other options provided do not accurately represent the combinations of nucleotides needed to form codons.