How many nucleotides are needed to code for a protein with 450 amino acids?

• A. At least 150
• B. At least 900
• C. At least 1,800
• D. At least 1,350

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the relationship between nucleotides and amino acids: Each amino acid in a protein is coded by a sequence of three nucleotides, known as a codon.
2. Calculate the number of nucleotides needed for one amino acid: Since one codon consists of three nucleotides, you need 3 nucleotides to code for one amino acid.
3. Determine the total number of nucleotides required for the protein: Multiply the number of amino acids in the protein (450) by the number of nucleotides per amino acid (3).
4. Use the formula: Total nucleotides = Number of amino acids × Number of nucleotides per amino acid. In MathML, this can be represented as: $\mathrm{Total}=450\times 3$
5. Conclude the calculation: The result from the multiplication will give you the total number of nucleotides required to code for the protein with 450 amino acids.