Protein Synthesis

By Blake Bizousky

Cytoplasm

-Ribosomes

Cytoplasm

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

Cytoplasm

-Ribosomes

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

Nucleus

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

Nucleus

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

-Ribosomes

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

RNA Polymerase DNA

Molecule

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

RNA Polymerase

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

RNA Polymerase

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

RNA Polymerase

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

mRNA Strand

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

mRNA Strand

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

mRNA Strand

Nuclear Pore

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

mRNA StrandNuclear Pore

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

DNA Molecule

Nuclear Pore

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

Nuclear Pore

DNA Molecule

Nucleus

-Ribosomes

~~~~~~~~~T A C T T A G C G T A G A T T~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~A T G A A T C G C A T C T A A~~~~~~~~~~

Nuclear Pore

DNA Molecule

Cytoplasm

Ribosome

Small unit

Large unit

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC CU

Ribosome

Small unit

Large unit

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC CU

U A C

Ribosome

Small unit

Large unit

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC CU

U A C

Ribosome

Small unit

Large unit

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AU

U A

tRNA Molecule

Amino acid

C

Anticodon

UU A

Ribosome

Small unit

Large unit

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AU

U A

tRNA Molecule

Amino acid

C

Anticodon

UU A

Ribosome

Small unit

Large unit

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AU

U A

tRNA Molecule

Amino acid

C

Anticodon

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AAU

U A C UU A

Peptide bond

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AAU

U A CUU A

Peptide bond

GG C

CodonStart Condon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AAU

UU A

Peptide bond

GG C

Codon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AAU

UU A

Peptide bond

GG C

Codon

A GU AA

U A

GC C A U C U AAU

GG C

U A G

Codon

A GU AA GC C A U C U AAU

GG C U A G

Codon

AA GC C A U C U AAU

GG C U A G

Stop Codon

GG C

Codon

AA GC C A U C U AAU

U A G

Stop Codon

A G

Codon

G C A U C U AA

Stop Codon

C U AA

Stop Codon

Amino acid in tertiary structure

Protein synthesis begins with transcription inside the nucleus. During transcription RNA polymerase binds to the DNA molecule at the promoter region and copies the coding region. RNA polymerase makes a single stranded mRNA copy of the DNA. RNA polymerase then stops copying at the terminating sequence and the mRNA strand makes it way out of the nucleus through a nuclear pore. Now in the cytoplasm, the mRNA strand binds with a ribosome. The ribosomes start reading the mRNA strand at the start codon. The ribosome brings in the correct anti-codon on a tRNA molecule which carries the certain amino acids which the codon coded for. The ribosome then brings in the rest of the tRNA. Between the tRNA molecules the amino acids form a peptide bond between each other. The tRNA then falls off, leaving the amino acid with the one which it bonded with. When the ribosomes has made it through all the codons it will reach the end codon. The end codon tells the ribosome to stop bringing in tRNA molecules. The polypeptide left behind now folds up into it’s tertiary form as a protein and goes on to do its function in the cell.