1. How is mRNA different than DNA?

mRNA and DNA are different due to the sugars they are made of. mRNA is made of ribose sugar and DNA is made of deoxyribose sugar. They both have two pyridamines, but while DNA has thymine, mRNA has uracil. DNA is double stranded while mRNA is single stranded.

 

2.  Describe the process of Transcription.

 

Transcription is the process of DNA being copied to mRNA. It is all due to the ‘super enzyme’ RNA polymerase. It  begins with the ‘unzipping’ of the DNA at the location of the gene, then strand 1 (will depend on the gene) will complementary base pair with the RNA sugars. Uracil (thymine on DNA) will bond with Adenine, and Guanine with Cytosine. Then, adjacent nucleotides form covalent bonds and build the RNA backbone. RNA is then released, and will be edited and remove any DNA information left.

 

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

 

This activity did a good job of modelling RNA transcription with how the bunny modelled the enzyme and its jobs, as well as the unzipping of the DNA. It was inaccurate and difficult to model the process of the new base pairing, and the process of the new RNA backbone being built.