Protein synthesis

• Different sequences of amino acids form different shapes, which form different proteins.
• In the nucleus, 1 strand of DNA is copied and is a template for the protein. The template is called mRNA and this stage is called transcription.
• The mRNA is smaller than DNA so can move out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm. The mRNA binds to a ribosome. Carrier molecules, called tRNA, carry specific amino acids and pair up to the bases on the mRNA. The amino acids bind together and form a protein. This is called translation.
• Changes in the genome are known as mutations.
• Mutations in the DNA mean that a single base in the triplet is different. This means the amino acid sequence will change and the shape and function ​of the protein will change.
• Not all parts of DNA code for proteins, some are non-coding regions. They can switch genes on or off. Mutations or variation in these regions may affect gene expression and if the correct protein is synthesised or not.