Definition of Reading Frame



The reading frame in terms of molecular biology is such a way by which the sequence of nucleotides present in the DNA and RNA are divided into a set that consists of consecutive and non-overlapping triplets. These triplets are known as codons and they are equated as specific amino acids as well as stop signals in the process of translation.

 


A single-stranded nucleic acid is a constituent of a phosphate group which is present at the 5’ end and a hydroxyl group at the 3’ end. It is composed of three reading frames which are read in the direction of 5’ to 3’. On the other hand, in the double-stranded DNA, there are three more reading frames that are present in the complementary strand. The open reading frame is that which has the ability to undergo the process of transcription and translation and hence can form a protein.

 

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