Use the following words to fill in the blanks: nucleus, base-pairing, transcription, translation, genes, cytoplasm, polypeptide chain, structure, ribosome, proteins, protein synthesis, cytosine, adenine, uracil, tRNA, mRNA, amino acid, DNA, RNA polymerase, codon.
DNA is made up of segments called nucleotides
. Genes provide the coding to create codon
. Proteins are created through the processes of translation
and transcription
. Together these processes are known as protein synthesis
. The first step in protein synthesis is transcription, where translation
is used as the template for the creation of an mRNA strand. The enzyme, RNA Polymerase
matches up the correct bases, using base-pairing
rules. When adenine is found on the DNA strand, cytosine
will be the complementary base on the mRNA strand. When thymine is found on the DNA strand, adenine
will be the complementary base on the mRNA strand.
and guanine are the other two bases that pair with one another. Since DNA is too large to leave the nucleus of the cell, tRNA
must be created. It is smaller and able to travel outside the nucleus
of a cell. Next, mRNA leaves the nucleus, heads through the cytoplasm
towards a ribosome
where translation occurs. In the ribosome, a codon
on the mRNA strand (3 bases), connects to the anticodon on a tRNA
molecule. When the codon and anticodon connect, the amino acid
on the tRNA molecule detaches, forming a polypeptide chain
which eventually makes up the protein. Proteins are essential for life because they make up the structure
of living organisms and help organisms to function.
Explanation: