1. Genetic code is triplet: Each codon consists of sequence of three nitrogen bases. 

2. Genetic code is universal: A particular codon codes for the same amino acid in all organisms. 

3. Genetic code is non overlapping: The successive triplet codons are read in order without overlapping and they do not share any base. 

4. Genetic code is degenerate: A single amino acid is coded by more than one codon. 

Eg: valine is coded by 4 different codons GUA, GUC, GUU and GUG 

5. Genetic code is commaless: Codons are without punctuation and written in linear form. There is no signal to indicate the end of one codon or beginning of the next codon. 

6. Genetic code is non-ambiguous: Each codon specifies a particular amino acid in all organisms. 

Eg: AUG codes for methionine 

7. Initiator codons: Protein synthesis is always initiated by particular codons called initiator codons. 

Eg: AUG in eukaryotes, GUG in prokaryotes 

8. Terminator codons: Three codons that act as stop signals to terminate protein synthesis are called terminator codons or nonsense codons. 

E.gf.: UAA (Ochre), UGA (Amber) and UGA (Opal)