Protein Synthesis Lesson

Protein Synthesis
Transcription & Translation

Central Dogma of Genetics

•Genetic information flows in one direction for

gene expression

•DNA🡪 RNA🡪 Protein

How does DNA tell the cell to make

a specific kind of protein?

* First: Transcription

* Second: Translation

* Called PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

* There are 2 major steps in this process

How does DNA tell the cell to make

a specific kind of protein?

Transcription : Process in which mRNA is

synthesized from the DNA template.

Major Player: mRNA(messenger RNA) transfers the recipe for
making proteins from the DNA to to the ribosome

Remember that RNA replaces the T in DNA with a U!

Open Ended

What is the RNA compliment of the following DNA strand?

TAGCGA

The correct answer is
DNA: TAGCGA
RNA: AUCGCU

Multiple Choice

Creating an mRNA strand from a DNA strand is called _______.

• Transcription

• Replication

• Translation

• Translocation

Open Ended

THINK! Why would mRNA need to exist? As in, why is another player besides DNA needed for protein synthesis?

Why is Transcription Necessary?

•DNA cannot leave the nucleus
•DNA must remain secure!
•DNA is used repeatedly as a template
•DNA cannot not bind to ribosomes for translation (second step of protein synthesis)

translation (second step of protein
synthesis)

Multiple Choice

Perform transcription for the following DNA strand:

TACCGA

• AUGGCU

• ATCCGT

• CGTAAG

• UAGGCU

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of mRNA?

• To create a short, single strand of one gene for translation

• To store genetic information in nitrogen bases for the cell

• To add amino acids in order to create peptide bonds and create a protein

• To replicate DNA for cell division for organism growth and repair

Multiple Choice

What is transcription?

• Creating RNA from DNA

• Converting DNA into proteins

• Replication of genetic material

• Modifying the structure of proteins

to be added to the growing
RNA chain

•Termination

•The enzyme reaches the

stop codon and falls off the
DNA chain, allowing the
double helix to return back
to shape

Now What?...Translation!

Translation: Process in which mRNA attaches to

the ribosome and a protein is
assembled/made.

* Codon: 3 base code in DNA or RNA

Words to know:

ACG ATA CGG CTT

Now What?...Translation!

Translation: Process in which mRNA attaches to

the ribosome and a protein is
assembled/made.

* Codon: 3 base code in DNA or RNA

Words to know:

* Amino Acid: Small monomer subunits joined together

to build proteins

There are 20 different Amino Acids.

Different combination of Amino Acids make

different kinds of proteins.

#1. AUG GCA UCC UGA

Methionine, Alanine, Serine, Stop

#2. AUG CCC GGU UAG

Methionine, Proline, Glycine, Stop

#3. AUG AAG GUG UGA

Methionine, Lysine, Valine, Stop

Translating mRNA codes into amino
acids to create polypeptide chains

(protein chains)

What is the amino acid for the

following codons?

AAU

Asparagine

(Asn)

GUG

Valine
(Val)

UGG

Tryptophan

(Trp)

Multiple Choice

How many codons are in the sequence below?

UCGAAAUCG

• 3

• 1

• 2

• 9

• 6

Match

Match the following amino acids to their RNA sequence

• CCU

• AAC

• GCC

• UGA

• UCU

Proline

Asparagine

Alanine

Stop

Serine

• Proline

• Asparagine

• Alanine

• Stop

• Serine

Now What?...Translation!

Translation: Process in which mRNA attaches to

the ribosome and a protein is
assembled/made.

* Codon: 3 base code in DNA or RNA

Words to know:

* Amino Acid: Compounds joined by peptide bonds

to build proteins

* Ribosome: “Reads” mRNA recipes so it can

synthesize/make proteins

Now What?...Translation!

* tRNA: (transfer RNA) Type of RNA that

transports amino acids to the ribosome

More Words to know:

tRNA

Now What?...Translation!

More Words to know:

* Anticodon: Complementary codons on tRNA that can pair that with the codons on the mRNA

tRNA

What happens during

translation?

Ribosome

Peptide chain/

Protein Chain

tRNA

Amino
Acid

Anticodon

Codon

Steps of Translation

Match

Match the following processes with their location within the cell.

• Replication

• Transcription

• Translation

Nucleus

Nucleus

Ribosome

• Nucleus

• Nucleus

• Ribosome

Match

Match the following processes with their end product.

• Replication

• Transcription

• Translation

DNA

mRNA

Protein

• DNA

• mRNA

• Protein

Multiple Choice

In RNA, Uracil pairs with ______. 

• cytosine
• adenine
• guanine
• thymine

Multiple Choice

The mRNA leaves the ________ to find the ribosome to make proteins.

• cell

• nucleotide

• nucleus

• mitochondrion

Multiple Choice

DNA holds the code for making

• lipids

• carbohydrates

• proteins

• sugars

Multiple Choice

Choose the sequence of the mRNA strand that would be match up with to the following strand:

GTAGTCA

• UATUAGA

• ACGACTG

• CAUCAGU

• CATCAGT

Multiple Choice

What amino acid is represented by the codon UUA?

• Phenylalanine
• Tyrosine
• Leucine
• Stop codon

Multiple Choice

What part of protein synthesis does this diagram represent?

• mRNA
• tRNA
• rRNA
• RNA

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the template for the production of RNA within a cell?

• DNA
• protein
• ATO
• carbohydrate

Multiple Choice

What is the three base sequence of mRNA that codes for a single amino acid?

• Anticodon
• Codon
• Protein

Multiple Choice

Genetic info flows in one direction. Which best represents this flow?

• DNA-protein-RNA
• Protein-RNA-DNA
• RNA-protein-DNA
• DNA-RNA-protein