RNA & Transcription

What is RNA?

★If DNA is the boss, it is
DNA’s assistant.

★It takes DNA’s code and
translates them to the rest of
your body so that you can
function.

★It has the structure of a single

helix.

★The word RNA stands for

RiboNucleic Acid.

Open Ended

DNA is located in the Nucleus. Proteins are created in Ribosomes (outside the nucleus. What do you think one of RNA's roles is?

What is in RNA?

★

It is made of the SAME stuff
as DNA EXCEPT!
○The nitrogenous bases
are either:
■Adenine (A)

■Uracil (U) ← instead
of Thymine

■Guanine (G)

■Cytosine (C)

○a 5 carbon sugar (called
ribose← instead of
deoxyribose).

Match

Match the following

RNA

DNA

Nucleotide

• RNA

• DNA

• Nucleotide

Multiple Choice

Nucleotides (monomers) make up which Polymer(s)?

• DNA

• RNA

• Both DNA & RNA

• DNA, RNA, & Proteins

How is RNA made?

★

It is made in a process called
transcription.

★

Transcription is when RNA
uses the DNA message as a
model and then re-writes it
into an RNA code, called a
codon.

○Notice that the A in DNA pairs with
a U in the RNA since RNA does
not have a T

○The codon will later be used to
make amino acids (we will get to
that in a few slides!)

Match

Match the following

• DNA

• RNA

• Proteins

ATG

AUG

Amino Acids

• ATG

• AUG

• Amino Acids

Multiple Choice

What is the complimentary RNA for this DNA Strand... TAC CGG ATC

• ATG GCC TAG

• ATG GCG TAG

• AUG GCC UAG

• AUG GCC TAG

How does
transcription work?

1. Start with DNA. It will unzip, just like

it does for DNA Replication.

2. But, now, instead of making a copy

of DNA, part of a DNA strand is
copied into RNA to serve as a
template (model) for the RNA.

3. The RNA than writes a message

based on that template, but with
modifications since all the T’s
would be U’s instead.

○A transcript is something that
is written, hence the term
transcription for this
process of writing RNA!

Open Ended

What does it mean to transcribe something?

Multiple Choice

Which part of the Central Dogma does Transcription belong?

• DNA > RNA

• DNA > Protein

• RNA > Protein

• RNA > DNA

What happens after
Transcription?

★Once in the ribosomes, the tRNA
pairs up with the rRNA – ribosomal
RNA - which takes the message from
the mRNA and translates it from
nucleotide language into amino acids.
These amino acids bond together and
become proteins.

★Transcription creates mRNA –
messenger RNA - which sends
messages from DNA to the cytoplasm
and to the ribosomes.

★The tRNA – transfer RNA - helps to
transfer the mRNA to the ribosomes,
but does so only 3 codons at a time.

direction

Match

Match the following

• mRNA

• tRNA

• rRNA

Sends "messages" to cytoplasm/ribosome

transfers mRNA to ribosomes (3 codons)

translates from mRNA into amino acids

• Sends "messages" to cytoplasm/ribosome

• transfers mRNA to ribosomes (3 codons)

• translates from mRNA into amino acids

Open Ended

What role does RNA play in our cells? (what does it do?)