The document summarizes the two main processes of protein synthesis: transcription and translation. During transcription, RNA polymerase in the nucleus copies DNA into a messenger RNA strand. During translation, the mRNA strand exits the nucleus and attaches to a ribosome in the cytoplasm. The ribosome then reads the mRNA codons and links amino acids together to form a polypeptide chain according to the mRNA sequence. This polypeptide chain will later fold into the final protein structure.

1. Protein Synthesis
By: Brayden Woodrow

2. Transcription

3. Nucleus
Cytoplasm

5. 3’
5’
T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A
5’
3’

6. RNA Polymerase
T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

7. mRNA strand
T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

8. T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

9. T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

10. A
A U
U
C
A
T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

11. A
U
A
T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

12. T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

13. T
A
C
T
C
G
A
A
T
G
A
T
A
T
T
A
T
G
A
G
C
T
T
A
C
T
A
T
A
A

14. Translation

15. A
A
U
A U
C
Nuclear Pore
mRNA

16. A A U
Start Codon
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G
Codon
Codon
Codon
Stop Codon

17. Large Subunit
Small Subunit
Ribosome
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

18. A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

19. Amino Acid
Anti-codon
U U A
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

20. U A G
U U A
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

21. U A G
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

22. U A A
U A G
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

23. U A A
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

24. G C A
U A A
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

25. U A A
A A U
A U C
G C A
A U U
C G U
A U G

26. U A C
G C A
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

27. STOP
G C A
A A U
A U C
A U U
U A C
C G U
A U G

28. Polypeptide
Chain
U A C
A A U
A U C
A U U
C G U
A U G

29. The polypeptide bond folds up
into the final structure, the
tertiary structure.

30. Transcription
The first process that takes place during protein
synthesis is transcription. It takes place in the
nucleus of a cell. During transcription, RNA
Polymerase enters the DNA strand at the beginning
of the strand. As it travels down the strand, the
polymerase creates an mRNA strand. This strand
contains complementary bases to the ones
currently on the DNA strand. Once finished, the
RNA polymerase leaves, and the mRNA strand exits
the nucleus through a nucleus pore.

31. Translation
The next process to occur is transcription. Transcription takes place in the
cytoplasm. A ribosome enters the single strand at the beginning called the
promoter region. However, the strand is split into codons. The beginning
three bases are called start codons. They mark where the will attach and
begin to synthesize. These start codons are followed by a number of regular
codons. At the end of those codons is a stop codon. A stop codon alerts the
ribosome of the ending of the strand. Next, a ribosome, which is divided into
a larger subunit and a smaller subunit, reads the base sequence of the start
codon, then synthesizes a tRNA molecule that carries an amino acid and anticodon along with it. The ribosome continues along the strand as the first
tRNA molecule breaks off, leaving its amino acid behind. That amino acid
forms a peptide bond with the second tRNA molecule’s amino acid. This
process continues until the tRNA molecule reaches the stop codon. At that
point, the amino acid chains break off and the ribosome falls from the strand.
The peptide bonds create a polypeptide chain, which then forms into the final
structure, known as the tertiary structure.