Which amino acid is specified by the codon ACU?

The codon ACU specifies the amino acid threonine. This is based on the genetic code, which is a set of rules that defines how nucleotide sequences in the mRNA are translated into amino acids. Each set of three nucleotides, known as a codon, corresponds to a specific amino acid.

In this case, the codon ACU codes for threonine, identified within the genetic code tables, which show the relationship between codons and their respective amino acids. This codon is one of the several that can specify threonine, demonstrating the redundancy of the genetic code, where multiple codons can correspond to the same amino acid. Understanding this relationship is crucial in molecular biology, particularly in the processes of transcription and translation, where genetic information is converted into functional proteins.