3.8 - Transfer RNA

Question 1

What shape does tRNA make?

Answer 1

a “t” or + shape

Question 2

Which end of tRNA carries the amino acid?

Answer 2

the 3’ end, at the top of the “t”

Question 3

What is at the bottom of tRNA?

Answer 3

An mRNA is attactched to the bottom of tRNA through a complentary codon

Question 4

How does tRNA know which amino acid to deliver?

Answer 4

• each tRNA has a unqiue anticodon at the bottom.
• Ex) if phe is the amino acid and it’s codon is UCU, the tRNA will have the anticodon AGA

Question 5

What does the third letter in the codon code for?

Answer 5

• The third letter in the codon doesn’t always matter. In most cases the first two letters code for a particular amino acid.
• The repitition in the genetic code means the code is degenerate.
• wobble theory

Trick question :)

Question 6

What is wobble theory? Who was it proposed by?

Answer 6

• it states that the 1st and 2 bases don’t change
• synonomus codons for given amino acids differs in the third base
• proposed by Crick (from watson and crick)

Question 7

What does charging and discharging tRNA mean?

Answer 7

• Charged: when an amino acid is attacted to a tRNA
• Discharged: when the tRNA delivers its amino acid
• tRNAcan be recycled as discharged ones can be recharged by reattaching the appropriate amino acid. (this REQUIRES ATP)

Question 8

What does minoacylation mean?

Answer 8

process of attatching an amino acid to the tRNA molecule