codon usage bias

Codon usage bias refers to the preference of certain DNA triplets, called codons, over others when encoding the same amino acid in an organism. Since multiple codons can specify the same protein building block, organisms often favor some over others, influenced by factors like gene expression efficiency or evolutionary history. This bias affects how quickly and accurately proteins are produced, and understanding it helps in fields like genetic engineering and evolutionary biology. Essentially, it's about which "words" the cell prefers to use when writing the instructions for making proteins.