Synthesis Process
Biology: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 4.2.8
Protein Synthesis
The process of protein synthesis (creation) happens like this:
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Transcription
- A template made from mRNA (a type of RNA) is taken of a gene from the DNA and leaves the nucleus.
- The mRNA carries the same sequence of codons (base triplets) as the DNA.
- This process is called transcription.
Translation - base pairing
- The mRNA template moves to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm.
- Here, molecules of tRNA (another type of RNA) form base pairs with the strand of mRNA.
- The tRNA molecules carry complementary codons, called anticodons, to the codons of the mRNA.
- This stage is called translation.
Translation - delivery of amino acids
- Each tRNA carries a specific amino acid.
- As the tRNA molecules attach along the mRNA strand in a specific order during translation, the amino acids that they carry form a chain.
- The amino acids form a protein chain that follows the code of the original DNA gene: a new protein is created.
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Protein Synthesis