RNA and protein synthesis

• Protein synthesis is the production of proteins (polypeptides) from the information contained within a cell's DNA.

  It is also known as polypeptide synthesis involving 2 main stages translation and transcription.
• RNA is a single polynucleotide strand and it contains uracil as a base instead of thymine.
• Messanger RNA (mRNA)

  1. mRNA is made during transcription
  2. It carries the genetic code from the DNA to the ribosomes, where its used to make a protein during translation
  3. mRNA is a single polynucleotide strand
  4. In mRNA groups of three adjacent bases are usually called codons
• Transfer RNA (tRNA)

  1. tRNA is involved in translation.
  2. It carries the amino acids that are used to make proteins to the ribosomes.
  3. tRNA is a single polynucleotide strand that’s folded into a clover shape. Hydrogen bonds between specific base pairs hold the molecule in this shape.
  4. Every tRNA molecule has a specific sequence of three bases at one end called an anticodon. It also has an amino acid binding site at the other end
• Transcription produces different products in eukaryotes and prokaryotes