Question

Planet X, a recently discovered planet, contains life forms that have double-stranded DNA as the genetic material. The DNA on Planet X is transcribed into RNA which is translated into protein. Planet X DNA contains only two bases: guanine (G) and cytosine (C), in a 20A wide double helix. The Planet X life form genetic code is a quadruplet code (code words are 4 bases long) and it is non-over lapping.

1) Given these properties of the genetic code on Planet X, what is the maximum number of different code words (codons) in the Planet X genetic code?

2) Would you expect to find that the number of different amino acids in the Planet X proteins was equal to, less than, or greater than, the maximum number of different code words in the Planet X genetic code?