Translation

• What is translation?

  When an mRNA strand is translated into a sequence of amino acids using a tRNA molecule.
• Translation STEP 1

  mRNA binds to a specific site on a small subunit on a ribosome.
• Translation STEP 2

  A molecule of tRNA comes along with complementary anticodon and a specific amino acid, and binds to the complementary start codon on the mRNA strand.
• Translation STEP 3

  Another tRNA molecule with complementary anticodon and another specific amino acid joins to the next complementary codon.
• Translation STEP 4

  The enzyme peptidyl transferase joins the amino acids next to each other via condensation reaction, forming peptide bonds between them.

  This process is also catalysed by rRNA (a type of RNA).
• Translation STEP 5

  The ribosome moves along the mRNA strand, tRNA leaves once the amino acid has joined with another, more tRNA molecules with specific anticodons and specific amino acids bind to mRNA.

  This whole process repeats until tRNA reaches the stop codon.
• Translation STEP 6

  A sequence of amino acids is formed and it leaves the ribosomes.

  The amino acids coil up based on the interactions around them in the cytoplasm - they then arrange themselves in their primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure - to form a specific protein.