Lecture 16 Flashcards
Where does translation occur?
In the cytoplasm
What carries out translation?
The ribosomes
What are ribosomes?
Complex structures made of protein and rRNA that work like enzymes to catalyse protein synthesis
What are the four nucleobases in DNA
Adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine
What are the four nucleobases in RNA
Adenine, cytosine, guanine and uracil
How many amino acids are there?
20
How is DNA read?
In sets of three called codons
What is the universal genetic code?
The common codon system across all life
What is tRNA?
Transfer RNA
What does tRNA do?
Reads the mRNA
What does the tRNA contain?
An anti-codon, and an amino acid attachment site
Why is the codon/anticodon pairing and amino acid attached so spesific?
To ensure the same mRNA sequence is always translated the same way to make the same protein
What are the three steps of translation?
Initiation, elongation, termination
What happens during initiation?
The ribosome, mRNA, and the first tRNA come together to form the translation initiation complex. The first tRNA always codes for met (AUG/Start)
What happens during elongation?
The ribosome moves along the mRNA, adding amino acid to the growing peptide chain