Protein Synthesis

Vocab for Protein Synthesis

What you could possibly see on
the EOC
 DNA
DNA: DeoxyriboNucleicAcid
“The Code of Life”
Type of biomolecule = Nucleic Acid
Monomer = Nucleotide
Function = Genetic material
Nucleotides are composed of:
1. Phosphate
2. Deoxyribose sugar
3. Nitrogenous base
The nitrogenous bases of DNA are:
Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and
Cytosine
Adenine (A) ♥ Thymine (T)
Meaning, if we had a segment of DNA
and the sequence was:
DNA strand: TTAGGCAAT
Complementary: AATCCGTTA

★ Remember: A and T pair together

and
C and G pair together
● DNA’s structure is known as a double
helix. It looks like a twisted ladder.
● The sides of the ladder are formed by
alternating sugars and phosphate
groups.

● The rungs of the ladder (the “steps”)

are formed by the pairing of the
nitrogenous bases.
DNA is located inside of cells inside of
the nucleus.

In the nucleus, DNA is very tightly

coiled and condensed in
chromosomes.
The main function of chromosomes is to
carry genetic information.

The genetic information holds all of the

instructions needed for protein
synthesis.
 What are genes?
Genes: a segment of DNA that codes
for a protein or RNA molecule
● They are passed from parents to
offspring and contain the
information needed to specify
physical and biological traits
● Each gene has a specific location
on a chromosome
★ Fun fact! At least 10,000 different proteins make
you what you are and keep you that way.
 From largest to smallest:

Chromosome → Genes → DNA

(they all work together)

Our DNA contains all of the instructions needed

to make us who we are, cats who they are, and
bananas what they are.
Chromosomes contain condensed
and coiled DNA, while genes are
segments of DNA that contain the
instructions for building proteins.

DNA carries instructions for all life

processes.
For now, we’re talking about its
involvement in protein synthesis.
A segment of DNA’s sequence (a gene)
might look like this:
AATTTACCG

What would the complementary strand be?

TTAAATGGC
 DNA Replication
The process by which a cell copies or
duplicates DNA. During this process:
1. The double helix of DNA separates
into two strands.
2. These separated strands are used as
templates to produce two “new”
complementary strands of DNA using
the pair base rules
This is something DNA This happens in S
does, but doesn’t Phase of Interphase
involve protein in the cell cycle
synthesis.
This results in a total of two new
double helix strands (two new DNA
molecules)
 Intro to Protein Synthesis
Steps of Protein Synthesis:
1. Transcription
2. Translation

Hint: transCription comes

before transLation.
Just like how C comes
before L in the alphabet
 Remember Proteins?
Monomer = amino acids
Polymer = polypeptide
Function = involved in almost every
function in the human body
 Remember Enzymes?
Enzymes are proteins too!
Enzymes speed up chemical reactions
by lowering the activation energy.

→ Many enzymes are involved in the process

of protein synthesis. Proteins helping build
proteins!
 RNA
Used for protein
synthesis. But what is
it?
 RNA
RNA: RiboNucleicAcid
Function = protein synthesis

Single stranded!
 RNA Base Pairs
NO
The nitrogenous bases of RNA are:Thymine
Adenine, Uracil, Guanine, and in
RNA!!!!!!!
Cytosine
Adenine (A) ♥ Uracil
(U)
Cytosine (C) ♥ Guanine (G)
 Practice
DNA strand: AATCCGTAT There will
never be a T
RNA strand: UUAGGCAUA in your RNA
strand!!!

When we are transcribing DNA into

RNA, T will be present in DNA. It will pair
with A in the RNA strand.
 Protein Synthesis
DNA contains the code to make
proteins, BUT the DNA cannot leave the
nucleus.

→ The code must be carried out from

the nucleus to the ribosome.
 1. Transcription
(DNA → mRNA)
● The process where a portion of DNA
(gene) is copied into a strand of
RNA.This occurs in the nucleus.
● This strand of RNA is called mRNA
(messenger RNA) and it’s responsible
for…
Carrying the code out of the nucleus
to the ribosome
 Ribosome =
organelle where
proteins are made
 rRNA (ribosomal RNA)
Primary component of ribosomes.

Basically what ribosomes are made out of

 Steps of Transcription
1. The DNA double helix is split apart at
the gene to be transcribed. One
strand/side of the DNA is used as a
template.

2. New nucleotides are paired together

according to the RNA base pair rules.
(T goes to A, A goes to U, and C and G go
 Steps to Transcription
3. This continues until a “stop” codon is
reached.
4. A single stranded mRNA molecule has
been transcribed. It will now leave the
nucleus to carry its message to the
ribosome.

(the DNA double helix will go back together

 What are
Codons?
The message inside the
message! Important for
TransLation.
So far we have transcribed our DNA into
RNA.

The messenger RNA (mRNA) is now on

its way to the ribosome where that
message will be used to gather the
codons for amino acids to form a
polypeptide.
 Codons
A group of three nitrogenous bases
(nucleotides) that specifies one amino
acid. CODONS
Example: AUGCCGAAU = AUG - CCG -
AMINO ACIDS
AAU
=
Met - Pro - Asn
 To figure out which
amino acids are being
coded for, we use a
codon chart.
 2. Translation
● The process of translating the mRNA
message into amino acids to form a
polypeptide chain, aka a protein. This
occurs on the ribosome in the cytoplasm.
 Steps of Translation
1. mRNA attaches to the ribosome.

2. As the mRNA is read, the amino acid that

is being coded for is brought into the
ribosome by the tRNA. The tRNA has an
“anticodon” that is used to match the
codon from the mRNA to bring the correct
aminoThisacid over.
happens until a stop codon is
reached.
 Wait, what’s tRNA?
tRNA (transfer RNA)- As a tRNA arrives at
a ribosome, it carries a specific amino
acid at one end. At the other end is an
anticodon.

Anticodon- base pair match to a codon.

Example: codon = AAC
Anticodon = UUG
 Steps of Translation
3. The ribosome hitches the amino acids
together with peptide bonds and
polypeptides are made.

★ Polypeptides are sent to the endoplasmic

reticulum (ER) to be modified and folded.
They are then sent to the golgi
apparatus to be shipped off.
 Overview:
1. Transcription occurs in the nucleus.
DNA is copied into mRNA and the
mRNA carries the code to the
ribosome.

2. Translation occurs on the ribosome.

The mRNA code is used to determine
the codon sequence so the tRNA can
bring the amino acids over to build a
 Overview:
3. Lastly, after the polypeptide is built, it
is sent to the ER to be modified. It then
goes to the Golgi Apparatus to be
packaged for transport to where it
needs to go.