The code is said to be degenerate because more than one codon may specify the same amino acid. All four of these codons signify the amino acid serine. The first two nucleotides are the same and only the 3 rd position varies. The 3 rd position is sometimes called the wobble position. This is the amino acid methionine, and most proteins have that as their first amino acid.
Initiation involves the assembly of the mRNA and ribosome complex.
The first codon that the ribosome reads is an AUG, or methionine. There are 2 docking sites in the ribosome, the A site and the P site. The P site is where the protein chain is located and the A site is where the tRNA brings in the appropriate amino acid. When the ribosome reaches a stop codon, the polypeptide is released and the ribosomal subunits disassociate. The structure of tRNA is critical in translation.