1. How is DNA different from mRNA?

DNA contains an organsisms original set of genetic instructions whereas mRNA is a copy of this genetic material copied as it is capable of leaving the nucleus of the cell. DNA is a relatively very long chain composed of two sugar phosphate backbones as well as the bases Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine. mRNA however is much shorter, is composed of only one backbone, and contains the bases Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Uracil.

2. Describe the process of transcription.

Transcription is the process by which mRNA is able to collect the genetic information stored in the nucleus by the DNA, and carry those collected genetic instructions from within the nucleus to a ribosome elsewhere in the cell where the mRNA will undergo translation. DNA inside the nucleus will unwind and “unzip” and its hydrogen bonds between bases will break to allow for new complimentary base pairing to occur between mRNA bases that are present within the nucleus, DNA polymerase will facilitate this process. Once the entirety of the DNA strand has been transcribed, the transcription process ends.

3. How did today’s activity do a good job at modeling the process of RNA transcription? In what ways was our model inaccurate?

Overall our group found this model to be quite accurate in demonstrating the steps and stages involved in the process of DNA transcription. The process is quite simple in comparison to Translation, for example, and so this activity is quite well suited to represent this process