Protein Synthesis

• What is the primary function of DNA molecules?

  DNA molecules obtain functions that are important to different proteins.
• How do proteins influence the function of cells in the body?

  Proteins determine how all the cells in the body function.
• What is a gene?

  A section of DNA that codes for a particular protein.
• What are proteins made of?

  Proteins are made up of chains of molecules called amino acids.
• How does the sequence of amino acids affect a protein?

  The sequence of amino acids gives each protein a different shape, which means each protein can have a different function.
• What determines the order of amino acids in a protein?

  The order of the bases in a gene decides the order of amino acids in a protein.
• What is the triplet code in protein synthesis?

  Each amino acid is coded for by a sequence of three bases in the gene.
• What happens to amino acids during protein synthesis?

  The amino acids are joined together to make proteins, following the order of the bases in the gene.
• How does the cell read the genetic code to synthesize proteins?

  The cell reads the sequence of bases in the gene to put amino acids together.
• Where is DNA found in the cell?

  DNA is found in the cell nucleus.
• Why can't DNA move out of the nucleus?

  DNA is really big and cannot move out of the nucleus.
• What molecule is used to transfer information from DNA to ribosomes?

  mRNA is used to transfer information from DNA to ribosomes.
• What is the structure of mRNA compared to DNA?

  mRNA is shorter and only a single strand compared to DNA.
• What occurs during transcription in protein synthesis?

  The DNA strands unzip around the gene, and the DNA is used as a template to make mRNA.
• What ensures that mRNA is complementary to the DNA template?

  Base pairing ensures that mRNA is complementary to the DNA template.
• What happens to mRNA after it is formed in the nucleus?

  The mRNA molecule moves out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm.
• What occurs during translation in protein synthesis?

  Amino acids that match the triplet codes on the mRNA are joined together in the correct order to make the protein.
• What is the role of transfer RNA (tRNA) in protein synthesis?

  tRNA brings amino acids to the ribosome.
• What are the main steps of protein synthesis?

  1. Transcription: DNA unzips, mRNA is formed.
  2. mRNA exits the nucleus and joins with a ribosome.
  3. Translation: tRNA brings amino acids to the ribosome.
  4. Amino acids are joined in the correct order to form a protein.
• How does the genetic code relate to protein synthesis?

  • The genetic code consists of sequences of bases in DNA.
  • Each triplet code corresponds to a specific amino acid.
  • The order of bases determines the order of amino acids in the protein.