Step 1: Universality of Genetic Code
The genetic code is universal, meaning that it is the same across all living organisms, from bacteria to humans. This ensures that the same set of codons produces the same amino acids across species.
Step 2: Redundancy of Genetic Code
The genetic code is redundant, meaning that multiple codons can encode the same amino acid. For example, both UUU and UUC codons specify the amino acid phenylalanine.
Final Answer:
Two characteristics of the genetic code are:
1. Universality
2. Redundancy