The anticodon is a sequence located on which type of RNA?

The anticodon is a sequence located on which type of RNA?

• A. tRNA
• B. mRNA
• C. rRNA
• D. snRNA

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that translation relies on the pairing between codons in mRNA and anticodons in tRNA. The anticodon is a triplet on transfer RNA that base-pairs with a complementary codon on the mRNA, guiding the correct amino acid into the growing protein chain. Each tRNA carries its specific amino acid, loaded by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase in a way that matches the anticodon’s identity, so the codon sequence is translated into the correct sequence of amino acids. The other RNA types mentioned serve different roles—mRNA provides the template with codons, rRNA forms the ribosome’s catalytic and structural core, and snRNA is involved in RNA splicing—so the anticodon must reside on tRNA.

The essential idea is that translation relies on the pairing between codons in mRNA and anticodons in tRNA. The anticodon is a triplet on transfer RNA that base-pairs with a complementary codon on the mRNA, guiding the correct amino acid into the growing protein chain. Each tRNA carries its specific amino acid, loaded by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase in a way that matches the anticodon’s identity, so the codon sequence is translated into the correct sequence of amino acids. The other RNA types mentioned serve different roles—mRNA provides the template with codons, rRNA forms the ribosome’s catalytic and structural core, and snRNA is involved in RNA splicing—so the anticodon must reside on tRNA.