Cell’s Nucleus

Ribosomes

Cell’s Nucleus

Ribosomes

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

T A C G GT AAG C TC

Start Codon Codon Stop Codon

C G T

AAAA T T TG C C G GC C G

Codon Codon

Codon Codon Codon Codon Codon

Cell’s Nucleus

Ribosomes

Nuclear Pore

mRNA

Cell’s Nucleus

Ribosomes

mRNA

mRNA

mRNA

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

T A C

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

T A C

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

T A C G T G C CG

Amino Acids

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

T A C G T G C CG

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

C CG

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

C CG A G T

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

A G TA C T

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

T

Peptide bond

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

T

AAAA U U UG C C G GC C G

T

Cell’s Nucleus

Ribosomes

Cell’s Nucleus

Ribosomes

Cell’s Nucleus

Ribosomes

TertiaryStructure

RNA polymerase breaks the hydrogen bonds (temporarily) of a DNA molecule at the TATAbox, which is a chain of TA bonds in DNA. From there, the RNA polymerase begins readingand synthesizing nucleotides complementary to the template strand of DNA. Once RNA polymerase finishes, the nucleotides that were synthesized become mRNA (messenger RNA). This mRNA travels out of the nucleus of the cell into the ribosomes, where tRNAmatches the anti-codon (complementary nucleotides to the codons) and releases an amino acid when joined. Whenever an amino acid is released, it forms a peptide bondwith the next amino acid, and so on. Whenever the ribosome reaches the stop codon onthe mRNA, the polypeptide chain releases, and folds in on itself. This folding results in thetertiary structure of proteins, which gives the protein its function.