RNA/ TRANSCRIPTION /

TRANSLATION

RNA
RNA: ribonucleic acid
Carries out protein synthesis
Differences from DNA:
different sugar (ribose)
ribose
single strand
different base
no thymine
URACIL instead

Why use RNA?

The cell does not directly use DNA to
control the function of the cell.
DNA is too precious and must be kept
protected within the nucleus.
The Cell makes a working "Photocopy" of
itself to do the actual work of making
proteins.

3 Types of RNA:
Messenger RNA: (mRNA)
carries nucleotide
sequence from nucleus to
ribosome
Transfer RNA: (tRNA)
picks up amino acid in
cytoplasm and carries
them to ribosome
Ribosomal RNA:
(rRNA)found in ribosome,
joins mRNA and tRNA;
forms protein

Process of Transcription

Transcription- process that makes mRNA from

DNA

1. DNA unzips into 2 separate strands

A. DNA Helicase is the enzyme that breaks Hbond
2. Free floating RNA NITROGEN BASES in the
nucleus pair up w/unzipped DNA NITROGEN
BASES with the help of RNA Polymerase:
A. Cytosine(C) pairs with Guanine(G)
B. Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C)
C. Thymine (T) pairs with Adenine (A)
D. Adenine (A) pairs with Uracil (U)

***remember (T) is only with DNA

Practice Strand
DNA strand: G G A C T G A T T
RNA strand:
C C U G AC U AA

3. After all the pairing is

done:
a single strand of RNA
has been produced.
4. Genetic code from DNA
is transferred to mRNA
5. The code obtained from
DNA lets the mRNA know
which amino acids to pick
up:
code is a set of 3
nitrogen bases = Codon

Transcription
Adenine (DNA and RNA)
Cystosine (DNA and RNA)
Guanine(DNA and RNA)
Thymine (DNA only)
Uracil (RNA only)

RNA
polymerase
RNA

DNA

Translation

Conversion of RNA into amino

acid sequence that makes a
protein
The mRNA leaves the nucleus and
enters the cytoplasm
Ribosomes attach to mRNA
tRNA (carrying anti-codon) picks
up the correct amino acids and
carries them to the mRNA strand
forming the protein
Ex:
tRNA carries GAU (anti-codon)&
looks for CUA on mRNA

Amino Acids

Codon Chart

A tRNA molecule is a small piece of RNA that has

a specific amino acid attached to it.

The tRNA also has a

special sequence of
3 nucleotide bases
known as an
anticodon.
There is at least one type of tRNA for each of the 20
amino acids.

The Steps of Translation:

1. The mRNA molecule moves through a pore in the
nuclear envelope and in to the cytoplasm. It joins
with a ribosome and is translated one amino acid at a
time.
2. INITIATION: the first codon on any mRNA
molecule is called the INITIATOR. This codon is
always AUG, which codes for the amino acid
methionine. This is a message to START translation.

3. ELONGATION: the ribosomes job is to position

the tRNA molecule onto the matching mRNA
molecule.
This makes it possible for a peptide bond to be formed
between the amino acids attached to the tRNA
molecules. These amino acids chains make up the
protein.
The enzyme that catalyzes this reaction is called
PEPTIDYL TRANSFERASE.

4. TERMINATION: The last codon on any mRNA

molecule is called the TERMINATOR codon, which is
a message to STOP translation.
This codon will be either UAA, UAG, or UGA. None
of these have a matching tRNA anticodon, so when
no more tRNAs attach, the ribosome, protein, and
mRNA detach from each other.

Translation
Nucleus

Lysine

Phenylalanine
Methionine

tRNA

Ribosome

mRNA

Start codon

mRNA

Translation (continued)
Growing polypeptide
chain
Ribosome

tRNA

Lysine

tRNA

mRNA

mRNA

Ribosome

Translation direction