Protein Synthesis Vocabulary

Front

What is the role of the ribosome in protein synthesis?

Back

The ribosome is the cellular structure where translation occurs, synthesizing proteins by linking amino acids together based on the sequence of mRNA.

Front

What is transcription?

Back

Transcription is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA, specifically mRNA, which carries the genetic information from the nucleus to the ribosome.

Front

What is translation?

Back

Translation is the process where ribosomes read the sequence of mRNA and use it to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain, forming a protein.

Front

What is mRNA?

Back

mRNA, or messenger RNA, is a type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome for protein synthesis.

Front

What is tRNA?

Back

tRNA, or transfer RNA, is a type of RNA that transports amino acids to the ribosome during translation, matching them to the codons on the mRNA.

Front

What is a codon?

Back

A codon is a sequence of three nucleotides on mRNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis.

Front

What is the significance of the start codon?

Back

The start codon (AUG) signals the beginning of translation and codes for the amino acid methionine, marking the start of protein synthesis.

Front

What is a stop codon?

Back

A stop codon is a nucleotide triplet (UAA, UAG, UGA) that signals the termination of translation, indicating that the protein synthesis is complete.

Front

What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

Back

DNA is double-stranded and contains the sugar deoxyribose, while RNA is single-stranded and contains the sugar ribose.

Front

What is the function of RNA polymerase?

Back

RNA polymerase is the enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a DNA template during the process of transcription.