degenerate

(adjective)

the redundancy of the genetic code (more than one codon codes for each amino acid)

Related Terms

Examples of degenerate in the following topics:

  • Female Hormones

    • The follicles that did not rupture degenerate and their eggs are lost.
    • The level of estrogen decreases when the extra follicles degenerate.
    • If no fertilized egg is implanted into the uterus, the corpus luteum degenerates and the levels of estrogen and progesterone decrease.
    • The endometrium begins to degenerate as the progesterone levels drop, initiating the next menstrual cycle.

  • Transcription in Prokaryotes

    • The genetic code is a degenerate, non-overlapping set of 64 codons that encodes for 21 amino acids and 3 stop codons.

  • The Central Dogma: DNA Encodes RNA and RNA Encodes Protein

    • The genetic code is degenerate as there are 64 possible nucleotide triplets (43), which is far more than the number of amino acids .

  • Female Reproductive Anatomy

    • The follicle becomes a corpus luteum, which eventually degenerates.

  • Human Gestation

    • The placenta has taken over the functions of nutrition and waste, along with the production of estrogen and progesterone from the corpus luteum, which has degenerated.

  • Brain: Midbrain and Brain Stem

    • A rare genetic disorder, fatal familial insomnia, causes the degeneration of thalamic neurons and glia.

  • Nerve Impulse Transmission within a Neuron: Action Potential

    • Diseases like multiple sclerosis cause degeneration of the myelin, which slows action potential conduction because axon areas are no longer insulated so the current leaks.

  • Sexual Reproduction in Gymnosperms

    • The male gametophyte containing the generative cell splits into two sperm nuclei, one of which fuses with the egg, while the other degenerates.

  • Chromalveolata: Alveolates

    • Three of these degenerate in each cell, leaving one micronucleus that then undergoes mitosis, generating two haploid micronuclei.

  • Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms

    • Three nuclei position themselves on the end of the embryo sac opposite the micropyle and develop into the antipodal cells, which later degenerate.