The “Central Dogma” of life
The process by which the instructions in DNA are converted into a functional
product
DNA
The “Central Dogma”
DNA
RNA
The “Central Dogma”
DNA
RNA
proteins
The “Central Dogma”
The process by which the instructions in DNA are converted into a functional
product
DNA
RNA
proteins
you
DNA and RNA
Types of Nucleic Acids
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
“Double Helix” (Twisted Ladder)
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
“Single Stranded”
DNA
• Phosphate
• Deoxyribose Sugar
• Base Pairs
A-T G-C
• Most Importantly:-
• Contains the Code for ALL the Proteins in the Body
RNA
• Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
• Sugar + Phosphate Backbone
• Differs from DNA
• Single Stranded
• Ribose Sugar
• Base Pairs A-U, G-C
U = uracil
• Are there T’s in RNA?
• A, U no T’s in RNA
• RNA assists DNA in
manufacturing needed
proteins
Questions
• Name one difference between DNA and RNA.
• DNA – Double Helix, RNA – Single Stranded
• DNA --- A-T, RNA ---A-U
• DNA ---Deoxyribose Sugar, RNA---Ribose
• What is a similarity of DNA and RNA?
• G binds with C in both DNA and RNA
• Both have sugar and phosphate backbone
Practice
• On your paper, complete the missing DNA strand by
adding the complementary bases.
•ATCGTTGCCATC
•TAGCAACGGTAG
• Make the complementary RNA strand for the single
strand of DNA below:
•AATCATCACGTT
•UUAGUAGUGCAA
RNA types
mRNA or Messenger RNA
mRNA copies the genetic code from DNA
It moves from the nucleus to the cytoplasm of a cell.
rRNA or Ribosomal RNA
It is located in the cytoplasm of a cell.
It is the components of ribosomes and it directs the translation of
mRNA into proteins.
tRNA or Transfer RNA
tRNA is located in the cellular cytoplasm.
Transfers amino acids to the ribosome to assemble protiens.
Protein Synthesis
• What is the cell organelle that is responsible for building proteins?
Ribosomes
• Where are the Ribosomes located in the cell?
In the cytoplasm
• What do you think is needed to build proteins?
Blue print from the DNA
• Information is copied from DNA into mRNA, this is transcription
• Where does the transcription happen?
In the nucleus
• mRNA leaves the nucleus and enters the cytoplasm of the cell
• Ribosomes rRNA use the mRNA as a blueprint to synthesize proteins
composed of amino acids, this is translation.
Protein Synthesis
Big picture of protein synthesis
Translation of the
Genetic Code -
Protein Synthesis
This is a molecule of messenger RNA.
mRNA is transcribed in the nucleus.
codon
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
mRNA molecule
A ribosome attaches to the mRNA
molecule.
ribosome
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
Amino acid
tRNA molecule
A transfer RNA molecule arrives.
It brings a specific amino acid to the first
three bases (codon) on the mRNA.
anticodon The three unpaired bases (anticodon)
on the tRNA link up with the codon.
UAC
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
Another tRNA molecule comes into
place, bringing a second amino acid.
Its anticodon links up with the second
codon on the mRNA.
CC
UAC G
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
Peptide bond
A peptide bond forms between the
two amino acids.
U A CC C G
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
The first tRNA molecule releases its amino
acid and moves off into the cytoplasm.
A C
U
CCG
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
The ribosome moves along the mRNA to
the next codon.
CCG
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
Another tRNA molecule brings
the next amino acid into place.
AA
CCG U
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
A peptide bond joins the second
and third amino acids to form a
polypeptide chain.
CCGCCG
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
The process continues.
The polypeptide chain gets longer.
This continues until a termination
(stop) codon is reached.
The polypeptide is then complete. AC
GUC G
AUGGGCUUAAAG CAGUGCACGUU
Genetic Code
• Proteins are composed of 20 different amino acids
• A sequence of 3 nucleotides is used to code each amino
acid
• Each triplet of nucleotides is called a codon
• Start codon AUG codes for amino acid methionine
• 3 stop codons
• There are 64 codons in the genetic code
• Several different codons can code for the same amino
acid, but no codon ever has more than one amino acid
counterpart.
• Codons are always written in the form of the RNA
transcript from the original DNA molecule.
CODON TABLE
