2. There are different steps in making a
protein. The first step in building an
amino acid chain is called
transcription. This process takes place
within the nucleus of a cell. During this
process an enzyme called RNA
Polymerase binds to a DNA strand.
3. To bind to the DNA it begins in
an area called the promoter
region. Once the RNA
Polymerase is bound to the DNA
strand it then begins to unwind
the DNA, reading the the DNA
nucleotides. While reading the
DNA strand the RNA Polymerase
synthesizes a single mRNA
strand.
4. Once at the end of the DNA strand
the RNA Polymerase breaks off. It is
no longer needed for the rest of the
protein synthesis process. The DNA
strand is then reattached in the
double helix structure that it
originally was in.
5. The newly formed mRNA strand is the
messenger RNA that carries the
genetic code of DNA. It leaves the
nucleus of the cell through a nuclear
pore. The strand is now in the
cytoplasm. This is where the next
stage, translation, takes place.
6. In this stage no enzymes are
needed. Instead there are different
molecules that are used. Ribosomes
and tRNA are both needed for this
step.
7. A ribosome attaches to the mRNA
strand at the start codon. tRNA carries
an amino acid and anticodons. The
tRNA carries an anticodon and amino
acid to the corresponding nucleotides
on the mRNA strand.
8. Two tRNA molecules are
working in the ribosome at
once. Once the third tRNA
comes, the first one leaves,
leaving behind the amino acid it
carries and taking the
anticodon. The amino acid
bonds to the amino acid on
another tRNA with a peptide
bond.
9. The process continues. Once the ribosome
reaches the stop codon, the process is
over. There isn’t a tRNA for the stop
codon, therefore there isn’t an amino acid
that comes from it. The process simply just
ends. The ribosome breaks off of the
mRNA strand. The mRNA strand, the
ribosome and the tRNA molecules are no
longer needed.
10. Now all that is left is a
polypeptide chain, formed by
all the amino acids that linked
together. The last step in
protein synthesis is the folding
of the polypeptide chain into a
tertiary structure.
11. Observe the following steps to get a
better understanding of protein
synthesis process.
24. T
A A
C T
C G
T G
A A
T
C
G G
T
C
G A
T C
A
G
A C
T T
A
C
G
DNA
G
T
G
C
A
C
C
G
C
T
A
A
G
T
A
T
G
G
A
T
G
C
A
C
A
C
T
A
G
T
A
T
A
C
C
T
A
C
G
T
G
T
G
A
T
C
G
T
G
C
A
T
T
C
A
C
G
A
T
A
Nucleus
45. T
A A
C T
C G
T G
A A
T
C
G G
T
C
G A
T C
A
G
A C
T T
A
C
A
G
C
A U
A
G
C
A
C
G U
A
G
Nucleus
G
T
G
C
A
C
C
G
C
T
A
A
G
T
A
T
G
G
A
T
G
C
A
C
A
C
T
A
G
T
A
T
A
C
C
T
A
C
G
T
G
T
G
A
T
C
G
T
G
C
A
T
T
C
A
C
G
A
T
A
G
U
Cytoplasm