mRNA Translation
mRNA Translation
mRNA is called messenger RNA because it carries, like a mailman, information for protein synthesis from the DNA out of the nucleus to the cell organelles called ribosomes in the cytoplasm (the site of protein synthesis). From here:
mRNA directs the assembly of amino acids through peptide bonds, that then fold into a 3D completed protein molecule. This process is called Translation.
The 4 bases on the mRNA strand are organized into triplets. Each triplet consists of a sequence of 3 consecutive nitrogenous bases. This is called a codon (code word). Each specific codon carries a specific one amino acid. The amino acids then bind together to form a protein.
The sequence of codons on the mRNA strand is called the mRNA language. It indicates the sequence of amino acids for the synthesis of a protein.
This language begins with the codon AUG (starting codon) and ends with UAA, UAG or UGA (stop codons). A sense codon codes for an amino acid. A nonsense codon causes the termination of a translation.
There are 64 possible combinations, but only 20 different amino acids are used to make proteins. So, what do the other 44 triplets do?
