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Ch.17 Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis
Timberlake - Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 13th Edition
Timberlake13th EditionChemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134421353Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 17, Problem 39

Write the corresponding section of mRNA produced from the following section of DNA template strand:
C C G A A G G T T C A C

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1
Identify the DNA template strand provided: C C G A A G G T T C A C.
Recall the base-pairing rules for transcription, where DNA bases pair with complementary RNA bases: Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G), Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C), Adenine (A) pairs with Uracil (U), and Thymine (T) pairs with Adenine (A).
Using the base-pairing rules, transcribe each DNA base into its corresponding RNA base: C → G, G → C, A → U, T → A.
Write out the sequence of the mRNA strand by applying the transcription rules to each base in the DNA template strand sequentially.
Double-check the transcribed mRNA sequence to ensure that all base-pairing rules have been applied correctly and that the sequence is accurate.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Transcription

Transcription is the biological process in which the DNA sequence of a gene is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). During this process, RNA polymerase binds to the DNA template strand and synthesizes a complementary RNA strand by pairing RNA nucleotides with their corresponding DNA bases, following the base-pairing rules.
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Transcription: mRNA Synthesis Concept 1

Base Pairing Rules

Base pairing rules dictate how nucleotides pair during the transcription process. In RNA, adenine (A) pairs with uracil (U) instead of thymine (T), while cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). Understanding these rules is essential for accurately determining the mRNA sequence from a given DNA template.
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Base Pairing Concept 2

Template Strand

The template strand of DNA is the strand that serves as a guide for RNA synthesis during transcription. It is read in the 3' to 5' direction, allowing the RNA polymerase to synthesize the mRNA in the 5' to 3' direction. Identifying the correct template strand is crucial for producing the accurate mRNA sequence.
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