Protein synthesis occurs in two main stages: ___________ and ___________.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the two main stages of protein synthesis, which are fundamental processes in molecular biology.
2. Recall that protein synthesis involves decoding genetic information to build proteins, starting with the creation of messenger RNA (mRNA) from DNA.
3. Recognize that the first stage is called transcription, where the DNA sequence is copied into mRNA.
4. Understand that the second stage is translation, where the mRNA sequence is used to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain (protein) at the ribosome.
5. Summarize that the two main stages of protein synthesis are transcription and translation.

Key Concepts

Transcription

Transcription is the first stage of protein synthesis where the DNA sequence of a gene is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). This process occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and involves RNA polymerase binding to DNA to synthesize a complementary RNA strand.

Translation

Translation is the second stage of protein synthesis where the mRNA sequence is decoded by ribosomes to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bring specific amino acids corresponding to codons on the mRNA, forming a protein.

Role of mRNA and Ribosomes

mRNA serves as the template carrying genetic information from DNA to ribosomes, the cellular machinery that facilitates translation. Ribosomes read the mRNA codons and coordinate the addition of amino acids, ensuring accurate protein assembly.