Its In Your Genes Mystery Cache

Welcome to Geo-netics, where Genetics and Geo-caching merge!! This is the first of a series that will teach you some basic genetic concepts. The cache is not at the listed coordinates. To find the cache lets talk about DNA. The actual cache is a small container with a log and various trinkets, covered in black tape.

DNA is the genetic blueprint that contains the instructions for all living organisms (except RNA viruses). The main role of our DNA is long term storage of information on how our body develops and functions. The DNA code is structured by tri-nucleotide sequences (called codons) and their corresponding amino acid. The four nucleotides that made up codons in DNA are Adenine(A), Cytosine (C), Guanine(G) and Thymine(T). DNA is a double stranded molecule where A and T pair together and G and C pair together in what becomes a sort of structural ladder with the base-pairings as the rungs and a sugar phosphate backbone as the sides. There are 20 standard amino acids represented by 64 codons, therefore some amino acids are represented by more then one codon. These can be viewed in a DNA codon table.

The cache is at N39 0GCT.TGCTGGGTA W104 5CAT.AATAAACAA

Alanine= 5

Asparagine=0

Cysteine=9

Glutamine= 3

Histidine= 1

Lysine= 2

Tryptophan= 5

Valine= 4

You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.