Beginning of Protein Synthesis:

Transcription:

Messenger RNA is created at the beginning of the process by the RNA polymerase going to the DNA to unwind and unzip so it can begin complementary base pairing to one side of its gene. To make a proper mRNA strand, it has to use ribose at the sugar instead of deoxyribose and replace thymine with uracil. After the suitable nucleotides pair, the RNA polymerase joins them together and releases the strand from the DNA. In the transcription process, the RNA polymerase does everything that the helicase, polymerase, and ligase would do in DNA replication. The mRNA is edited and looked over before it leaves the nucleus to the ribosome; the DNA strand has already rewound itself.

Translation:

Step 1: Initiation

At the beginning of the translation process, the initiation step is when the mRNA binds to the small ribosome subunit, then the two ribosome subunits bind together.

Step 2: Elongation

In the second step of the process, the ribosome holds the mRNA and allows complimentary tRNAs with specific amino acids and anticodons to attach to the binding sites A and P once it has read the start codon AUG; methionine. The tRNA first binds to site A and then moves to site P after the ribosome reads down to the next codon, allowing another complimentary tRNA to link to site A. Once the ribosome moves down to the next codon, the tRNA in site P is released, and the amino acid lets go and bind to the neighboring amino acid in site A, creating a chain.

Step 3: Termination

The elongation cycle continues until the ribosome “reads” a stop codon on the mRNA. This stop codon contains no complimentary tRNA, ending the process. After, everything is released from the mRNA and leaves a polypeptide, now the primary structure of a protein.

This visual model has a few inaccuracies in the reality of protein synthesis. One example is that our written mRNA sequence is written backward but still moving in the correct direction, meaning that the codons are backward but not the process. Secondly, the tRNA pieces of paper do not contain the anticodons, which compliments them to the codons in the mRNA with the correct amino acid. Thirdly, the amino acid chain shown is a shortened version of how a real polypeptide would look. A polypeptide chain consists of about twenty amino acids whereas the model only contains four. Lastly, the process of editing before the mRNA leaves the nucleus after transcription is not included in the model, but it does exist in this process.

Though there are a few inaccuracies with the modeling, the images given are proficient in the steps taken and the different elements shown through different colours. The first images, representing transcription, clearly show the differences between mRNA and DNA through the colours of the sugars and bases. The sugar on the mRNA strand is a bright pink while the DNA strand’s sugar is green, expressing the distinction between the two nucleic acids with the pink five-carbon sugar, ribose, in the mRNA and the green five-carbon sugar, deoxyribose, in the DNA. Secondly, the beige base, uracil, which comes in only on the mRNA strand, clearly replaces the yellow base in DNA, thymine. Moving on to the images representing elongation in translation, the element of the tRNA moving from sites A to P is shown as the ribose moves down the mRNA while leaving the amino acids and creating a chain after being released from the ribose’s P site. Lastly, ending the process in the termination step of translation, all the necessary components are shown when the ribose “reads” the stop codon and release them from the mRNA strand. Demonstrating that the process ends with a separated ribose, mRNA, tRNAs, and a polypeptide chain of amino acids.

To more accurately represent this process, showing written codons, anticodons, and mRNA sequences should be included. In most images, it is difficult or impossible to see the letters demonstrating the DNA-copied instructions on the mRNA. In connection with this, anticodons could be written onto the tRNAs to more accurately represent how the tRNA and the mRNA codons are complimentary. The last detail that could be helpful to add is a label on the amino acids to show their specific name connected to that anticodon and how everything is complimentary to each other in this process, keeping that continuity of the protein to the DNA gene.

Aside from the model itself, communicating the scientific process of protein synthesis to the public is very important. Using these models shows the basic idea of the process with the information that needs to get across can be crucial in sharing scientific importance. Using this model to share the scientific knowledge of how protein synthesis works and its importance is a prominent way to educate about science, mainly because it is easier to follow images with compact writing attached rather than overly detailed essays on the process. This model can keep it simple and basic enough that the audience with minimal to zero knowledge of the topic can easily follow without becoming bored and can understand quickly and efficiently.