8. The sequence of bases below represents an entire strand of mRNA that is sent to the ribosome to construct a protein. However, during translation, not every codon will result in an amino acid. In the spaces below, write the first, second, and last amino acid that will appear in the protein.

CAU CGU AUG ACA AAU GAU UGA GCG

First AA:

Second AA:

Last AA:

Part 1: Lesson Summary

Summarize today's lesson and explain the process of protein synthesis. Be sure to discuss how, why, and where transcription and translation occur. (Make it seem like a 9th grader wrote it)

3 answers

To find the amino acids coded by the mRNA sequence you provided, we first need to break the sequence into codons (groups of three bases) and then translate those codons into amino acids. The provided mRNA sequence is:

CAU CGU AUG ACA AAU GAU UGA GCG

Now, we can break it into codons:

  1. CAU
  2. CGU
  3. AUG
  4. ACA
  5. AAU
  6. GAU
  7. UGA
  8. GCG

Next, we need to identify which amino acids correspond to these codons using a codon chart:

  • CAU → Histidine (His)
  • CGU → Arginine (Arg)
  • AUG → Methionine (Met) (this is also the start codon)
  • ACA → Threonine (Thr)
  • AAU → Asparagine (Asn)
  • GAU → Aspartic acid (Asp)
  • UGA → Stop codon (indicates termination of translation)
  • GCG → Alanine (Ala) (not used since we stop at UGA)

Based on this information:

First AA: His (Histidine)
Second AA: Arg (Arginine)
Last AA: None (the translation stops at UGA which is a stop codon, so no last amino acid is added)


Part 1: Lesson Summary

Today, we learned about protein synthesis, which is the process by which cells make proteins. This process has two main steps: transcription and translation.

Transcription happens in the nucleus of the cell. During this step, the DNA is used as a template to create messenger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA carries the genetic information from the DNA out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm, where proteins are made.

Translation occurs in the ribosome, which can be found in the cytoplasm. The ribosome reads the mRNA in sets of three bases called codons. Each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid. Transfer RNA (tRNA) brings these amino acids to the ribosome in the order specified by the mRNA. The ribosome links the amino acids together to form a protein.

This entire process is important because proteins perform many functions in our bodies, from building structures like muscles and tissues to helping with chemical reactions as enzymes. Overall, protein synthesis is crucial for cells to function properly and to keep our bodies healthy!

Can you summarize the summary and make it seem like a 9th grader wrote it? Not too long

Today, we learned about protein synthesis, which is how cells make proteins. It has two main steps:

  1. Transcription happens in the nucleus, where DNA is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). This mRNA then leaves the nucleus to go to the cytoplasm.

  2. Translation happens in the ribosome, where the mRNA is read in groups of three bases called codons. Each codon matches up with a specific amino acid, which is brought to the ribosome by transfer RNA (tRNA). The ribosome connects these amino acids to form a protein.

Protein synthesis is super important because proteins do a lot of essential jobs in our bodies, like building tissues and speeding up chemical reactions. Overall, it's key for keeping us healthy!