Figure 1.2: Protein synthesis

Figure 1.2: Protein synthesis

1. The DNA double helix unwinds to expose a sequence of nitrogenous bases.

2. A copy of one of the strands is made in a process known as transcription. The copy is made of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) which, following transcription, travels out of the nucleus into the main body of the cell, where protein synthesis occurs.

3. The mRNA couples with the protein synthesis apparatus (the ribosome). Another type of RNA, known as transfer RNA (tRNA), brings free amino acids to the ribosome.

4. The anticodon present on the tRNA recognises the codon present on the mRNA, and the ribosome adds the amino acid to the growing chain of linked amino acids (polypeptides), cleaving it away from the tRNA. This process is known as translation.

5. As the polypeptide chain grows, it folds to form a protein.

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