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:
- CAU
- CGU
- AUG
- ACA
- AAU
- GAU
- UGA
- 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!