Protein synthesis

• What is the process of making proteins called?

  Protein synthesis
• What are the two main steps involved in protein synthesis?

  Transcription and translation
• What happens during transcription?

  A single gene of DNA is copied into mRNA
• What is the role of ribosomes in protein synthesis?

  Ribosomes read mRNA to produce proteins
• Why can't DNA leave the nucleus?

  Because DNA is too large to exit the nucleus
• What does mRNA stand for?

  Messenger RNA
• How does the structure of mRNA differ from DNA?

  mRNA is shorter, single-stranded, and contains uracil instead of thymine
• What is the role of RNA polymerase in transcription?

  RNA polymerase binds to DNA and synthesizes mRNA
• What happens to the DNA strands during transcription?

  The DNA strands separate to expose their bases
• How do mRNA bases pair with DNA bases during transcription?

  mRNA bases are complementary to DNA bases
• What base does adenine pair with in mRNA?

  Adenine pairs with uracil in mRNA
• What is the template strand in DNA?

  The template strand is the DNA strand used to synthesize mRNA
• What is a codon?

  A codon is a group of three bases that codes for a specific amino acid
• How many different amino acids do cells use to make proteins?

  20 different amino acids
• What is the role of tRNA in translation?

  tRNA brings amino acids to the ribosome
• What is the function of the anticodon on tRNA?

  The anticodon is complementary to the codon on mRNA
• How does the ribosome know which amino acid to add next?

  The ribosome reads the codon on mRNA to determine the next amino acid
• What happens after the ribosome joins two amino acids together?

  The ribosome moves along the mRNA to add the next amino acid
• What occurs at the end of the translation process?

  The amino acid chain detaches from the ribosome and folds into a protein
• What are the key steps involved in protein synthesis?

  • Transcription: DNA is copied into mRNA
  • Translation: mRNA is used to produce proteins
• What is the relationship between codons and amino acids?

  • Each codon consists of three bases
  • Each codon codes for a specific amino acid
• How do tRNA and ribosomes work together in translation?

  • tRNA brings specific amino acids to the ribosome
  • Ribosome reads mRNA codons to assemble amino acids in the correct order
• What is the final outcome of translation in protein synthesis?

  • A complete amino acid chain is formed
  • The chain folds into a functional protein
• What are the building blocks of DNA and RNA?

  Nucleotides
• How do nucleotides join together?

  By forming phosphodiester bonds.
• What does DNA consist of?

  Two polynucleotide strands.
• What is located on the outside of the DNA structure?

  The sugar phosphate backbone.
• How are the two polynucleotide strands in DNA held together?

  By hydrogen bonds between the bases.
• What is the relationship between the bases on opposite strands of DNA?

  The bases are complementary to each other.
• Which base pairs with guanine in DNA?

  Cytosine.
• Which base pairs with adenine in DNA?

  Thymine.
• What does it mean for the two polynucleotide strands in DNA to be anti-parallel?

  They run in opposite directions.
• What is attached to carbon 5 of the deoxyribose sugar in the left-hand strand of DNA?

  The top phosphate group.
• What is attached to carbon 3 of the deoxyribose sugar in the left-hand strand of DNA?

  The hydroxyl group.
• How many hydrogen bonds do guanine and cytosine form?

  Three hydrogen bonds.
• How many hydrogen bonds do adenine and thymine form?

  Two hydrogen bonds.
• What can be said about the proportions of guanine and cytosine in DNA?

  They are always the same as each other.
• What can be said about the proportions of adenine and thymine in DNA?

  They are always the same as each other.
• If 20% of the nucleotides in a sample of DNA contain guanine, what percentage contains cytosine?

  20%
• If 20% of the nucleotides in a sample of DNA contain guanine, what percentage contains adenine?

  30%