DNA AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

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TRANSCRIPTION-PRODUCTION OF PRE-mRNA

  • TRANSCRIPTION TAKES PLACE IN THE NUCLEUS OF THE CELL.
  • THE ENZYME DNA HELICASE UNZIPPS THE TWO DNA STRANDS, EXPOSING THE NUCLEOTIDE BASES.
  • FREE NUCLEOTIDES IN THE NUCLEUS PAIR WITH THEIR COMPLEMENTARY BASES ON THE DNA STRANDS.
  • RNA POLYMERASE MOVES ALONG THE NEWLY FORMED STRAND OF NUCLEOTIDES AND JOINS THEM TOGETHER TO FORM A PRE-mRNA MOLECULE.
  • AS THE RNA POLYMERASE IS JOINING NUCLEOTIDES, THE TWO STRANDS OF DNA REJOIN BEHIND IT SO ONLY ABOUT 12 DNA BASE PAIRS ARE EXPOSED AT A TIME.
  • WHEN THE RNA POLYMERASE REACHES A 'STOP' CODON IT DETACHES AND THE PRODUCTION OF PRE-RNA IS FINISHED.

Image result for TRANSCRIPTION (http://ib.bioninja.com.au/_Media/transcription_med.jpeg)

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SPLICING OF PRE-mRNA

  • STRANDS OF DNA FROM EUKARYOTIC CELLS ARE MADE UP OF EXONS(CODES FOR PROTEINS) AND INTRONS (DON'T CODE FOR PROTEINS)
  • THE INTRONS INTERVEIN AND PREVENT THE SYNTHESIS OF A POLYPEPTIDE.
  • SO IN THE PRE-mRNA, THE BASE SEQUENCE CORRESPONDING TO INTRONS ARE REMOVED AND THE EXONS ARE JOIED TOGETHER. THIS IS CALLED SLPICING.

Image result for splicing of pre-mrna (http://www.rnaxploration.com/_Media/pre-mrna_maturation-2_med.png)

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SYNTHESISING A POLYPEPTIDE

  • THE NEWLY FORMED mRNA LEAVES THE NUCLEUS OUT OF A NUCLEAR PORE.
  • A RIBOSOME ATTACHES TO THE 'START' CODON (AUG) AT ONE END OF THE mRNA MOLECULE.
  • A tRNA MOLECULE WITH A COMPLEMENTARY ANTICODON SEQUENCE (UAC) MOVES TO THE RIBOSOME AND PAIRS UP WITH THE COMPLEMENTARY CODON ON THE mRNA. THIS tRNA CARRIES A SPECIFIC AMINO ACID WITH IT.
  • A tRNA MOLECULE WITH A COMPLEMENTARY ANTICODON TO TH NEXT CODON OF THE mRNA MOLECULE ATTACHES, BRINGING ANOTHER SPECIFIC AMINO ACID.
  • THE RIBOSOME MOVES ALONG THE THE mRNA , BRINGING TOGETHER TWO tRNA MOLECULES AT A TIME.
  • THE TWO AMINO ACIDS ON THE tRNA MOLECULES ARE JOINED BY A PEPTIDE BOND USING AN ENZYME AND ATP TO PROVIDE THE ENERGY
  • THE RIBOSOME MOVES TO THE THIRD CODON AND LINKS THE 2ND AND THIRD AMINO ACIDS TOGETHER.
  • SIMULTANEOUSLY THE FIRST tRNA MOLECULE IS RELEASED FROM ITS AMINO ACID AND IS FREE TO COLLECT ANOTHER FROM THE AMINO ACID POOL IN THE CELL.
  • THE SYNTHESIS OF A PLOYPEPTIDE CONTINUES UNTIL A RIOSOME REACHES A 'STOP'  CODON. THE mRNA, tRNA AND RIBOSOMES ARE ALL SPEPARATE AT THIS POINT.
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ASSEMBLING A PROTEIN

  • A SINGLE POLYPEPTIDE CHAIN CAN BE A FUNCTIONAL PROTEIN, MOST OFTEN A NUMBER OF THEM ARE LINKED TOGETHER.
  • THE POLYPEPTIDE IS COILED OR FOLDED, PRODUCING THE SECONDARY STRUCTURE.
  • THE SECODARY STRUCTURE IS FOLDED PRODUCING THE TERTIARY STRUCTURE.
  • DIFFERENT POLY PEPTIDE CHAINS, ALONG WITH ANY NON-PROTEIN GROUPS, ARE LINKED TO FORM THE QUATERNARY STRUCTURE.

Image result for PROTEIN STRUCTURES (http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.KyOH-KSeAK-6RnOCunDfRAETEs&pid=15.1)

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