6.4: Translation Flashcards
What is translation?
The synthesis of a polypeptide using information from mRNA (codon)
Where in the cell does translation occur?
Ribosomes
What occurs during translation?
A nucleotide sequence becomes an amino acid sequence
Which molecule translate mRNA to an amino acid sequence?
tRNA
 explain the process in which transfer RNA translates mRNA to an amino acid sequence
- transfer RNA has an anti-codon region which is complementary and anti-parallel to mRNA (codon)
- tRNA carries the amino acid that mRNA codon codes for
- The enzyme aminoacyl-tRNA synthesase is responsible for attaching amino acids to tRNA

A tRNA carrying an amino acid is ____
Charged
Ribisime have two subunits: small and large, but prokaryitic and eukarytic ribosomal subunits differ in size. Name the sizes for both projaryotes and Eukaryotes.
Prokaryotes: small subunits is 30s, large is 40s
Eukaryotes: small subunit is 40s, large is 60s
What are the three sites called on the large subunit?
A, P, E
What is the A site on the large subunit? (2)
- amino acid site
- holds the next transfer RNA carrying an amino acid
What is the P site on the large subunit? (2)
- polypeptide site
- holds the tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide chain
What is the E side of the large subunit?
Exit site
What are the three stages of translation?
- Initiation
- Elongation
- Termination
What occurs in initiation of translation?
- translation begins when the small ribosomal subunit binds to the mRNA and a charged tRNA binds to the start codon, AUG, on the mRNA.
- the tRNA carries methionine
- Next, the large subunit binds

What is the difference between the first transfer RNA carrying methionine, and every other transfer RNA?
the first tRNA carrying Met will go to the P site, while every other tRNA goes to rhe A site first
How does elongation start? (3)
- Elongation starts when the next tRNA comes into the A site
- MRNA is moved through the ribosome and its codons are read
3. Each mRNA codon codes for a specific amino acid
- codon charts used to determine the amino acid