RNA and

Transcription
Quick Review…

• DNA is a type of nucleic acid.

• It is made up of 3 components:
– Deoxyribose Sugar
– Phosphate Group
– Nitrogenous Base (A, T, C, G)
• DNA is a set of instructions for every
function in the body.
• The directions… coded in G,A,T,C and tells
the cells how proteins are to be created and
arranged… called protein synthesis.
Key Terms--

• Protein Synthesis: the 2 step process of

using DNA instructions to make proteins
• RNA: a type of nucleic acid containing the
sugar ribose (3 types: mRNA, rRNA, tRNA)
• Transcription: a process by which a DNA
template is used to produce a single-
stranded RNA molecule
• Translation: a process by which a
sequence of nucleic acids in RNA is used to
direct the production of a chain of specific
amino acids.
Protein Synthesis: 2 Steps

1. Transcription
– DNA in the nucleus is copied into mRNA
(messenger RNA)
– mRNA leaves the nucleus for the cytoplasm
for translation

2. Translation
– mRNA is changed over (translated) from the
language of nucleotides to the language of
amino acids
mRNA…What’s mRNA?
• It stands for Messenger Ribonucleic Acid
• It is another type of nucleic acid
(polymer)…so it contains:
– Sugar (ribose)
– Phosphate group
– Nitrogeneous Base
• The four are: guanine, cytosine, adenine, and
uracil (which used to be thymine).
• Remember CUT PY (Cytosine, Uracil, Thymine =
PYramidines!)
• It is single stranded…great for fitting in
nuclear pores!
BACK TO PROTEIN SYNTHESIS,
PART 1:

Transcription
Protein Synthesis, Step 1: Transcription

1. DNA unzips using the enzyme, DNA

Helicase
2. RNA POLYMERASE brings in
complimentary RNA nucleotides (G,A,U,C)
3. Only 1 side of the DNA double helix will get
copied/transcribed into mRNA. This strand
is called the “master strand.”
Protein Synthesis, Step 1: Transcription

4. Once fully copied, the mRNA strand falls off

of the master strand.
Protein Synthesis, Step 1: Transcription

5. The DNA double helix will recoil and begin to

function as normal.
6. RNA splicing will occur:
a. Initial RNA transcripts have stretches of non-
coding nucleotides that interrupt nucleotides
that code for amino acids (which build proteins).
b. Non-coding regions are called: introns
c. Coding regions / parts of the gene that will be
translated into proteins are called: exons
 Introns are like the ads in magazines, while exons
are the articles.
Protein Synthesis, Step 1: Transcription

d. An enzyme
comes along to
cut out the
introns and

e. “glue” the
exons back
together again
Protein Synthesis, Step 1: Transcription

7. The “Final Draft” of mRNA moves into the

cytoplasm to find a ribosome (protein
construction factory).
8. It’s ready for TRANSLATION into a protein.

EXAMPLE--
DNA Complementary Strand:
C A T G T A C T C G T A G
Let’s “transcribe” this on the board!