AIIMS 2017 Botany Genetic Code MCQ Question

To determine the minimum number of bases per DNA codon needed to code for 96 amino acids, we use the formula $b^n \geq m$, where $b$ is the number of bases, $n$ is the number of bases per codon, and $m$ is the number of amino acids. With 12 different bases, we need $12^n \geq 96$. Testing $n = 2$ gives $12^2 = 144$, which is sufficient, while $n = 1$ results in only 12 possible combinations, insufficient for 96 amino acids. Options like 3 or 8 bases would provide more combinations than necessary, making them incorrect.