Alphabet of Life
Searching for clues to the genetic code's origin
“Omg. u no how 2 do the bio hw?”
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Texting uses a peculiar alphabet. It keeps messages brief but still encodes enough meaning for students to communicate about homework, coffee dates and crushes — all while accommodating the occasional typo.
The genetic alphabet, the letters used as the blueprint for all life, balances brevity and clarity in a similar way. Just four letters combine to spell out the more than five dozen three-letter words that encrypt the information needed to make all the cells in the human body, and any other body as well.