Concluding Questions

Create a Protein Synthesis Edublog post. Beneath your answers to the eight questions from the activities of the last few days, answer the following questions. Use photos from today’s activity to support your answers.

1. Describe the process of transcription: unwinding, complementary base pairing, separating

Inside of the nucleus, a DNA strand unwinds, exposing a specific gene. The enzyme RNA polymerase reads the bases of the exposed gene and brings in the appropriate complementary base, which then forms an mRNA strand once the adjacent nucleotides form covalent bonds to form the backbone. The new mRNA strand detaches from the strand of DNA and leaves the nucleus, on the way to a ribosome. It can be modified before it leaves and it now carries the instructions to a specific protein. The DNA rewinds into a helix.

2. How did today’s activity do a good job of modelling the process of transcription? In what ways was our model inaccurate?

 

3. Describe the process of translation: initiation, elongation, and termination.

(Initiation) The strand of mRNA arrives at a ribosome and is held onto (rRNA). The start codon (AUG) in the sequence of copied bases is read and tRNA is called to bring the specific required amino acid to build the protein.
(Elongation) When the amino acids arrive on the tRNA, they begin to form peptide bonds with each other. Once the acid is bonded to its adjacent, the tRNA releases the growing polypeptide and leaves the ribosome.
(Termination) The stop codon on the mRNA is read, and the ribosome lets of the mRNA and the last tRNA.

4. How did today’s activity do a good job of modelling the process of translation? In what ways was our model inaccurate?

In the first photo, the mRNA strand is passing through the ribosome, representing the process of being read. The first tRNA is called and brings the specific amino acid, followed by more tRNA. The adjacent amino acids form peptide bonds to form a polypeptide, this process creating a protein.