Protein Synthesis: Transcription and Translation
Protein synthesis is the two-stage process by which genetic information in DNA is converted into functional proteins through transcription and translation.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
Transcription occurs in the nucleus: DNA is used as a template to produce a complementary mRNA strand
mRNA carries the genetic code from the nucleus to ribosomes in the cytoplasm
Translation occurs at ribosomes: tRNA molecules deliver amino acids according to the mRNA codons
A codon is a sequence of three mRNA bases that codes for a specific amino acid
Key Vocabulary
Transcription
The process of copying the DNA sequence of a gene into a complementary mRNA strand in the nucleus
Translation
The process of decoding the mRNA sequence at a ribosome to assemble a sequence of amino acids into a protein
Codon
A sequence of three consecutive mRNA nucleotides that codes for a specific amino acid or stop/start signal
tRNA
Transfer RNA — a molecule that carries a specific amino acid to the ribosome and matches its anticodon to the mRNA codon
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
Where does transcription take place?
Question 2
A codon consists of how many mRNA nucleotides?
Question 3
What is the role of tRNA during translation?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Transcription occurs in the nucleus: DNA is used as a template to produce a complementary mRNA strand
- ●mRNA carries the genetic code from the nucleus to ribosomes in the cytoplasm
- ●Translation occurs at ribosomes: tRNA molecules deliver amino acids according to the mRNA codons
- ●A codon is a sequence of three mRNA bases that codes for a specific amino acid