Compare the structure of RNA and DNA

DNA DNA is double-stranded molecule DNA contains deoxyribose sugar There is one form of DNA DNA has nitrogenous base thymine RNA RNA is single-stranded molecule RNA contains ribose sugar There are three forms of RNA: tRNA; mRNA and rRNA

RNA has nitrogenous base uracil

DNA & RNA are polymers of nucleotides i.e. both are nucleic acids DNA & RNA contain four nitrogenous bases: A, G, C, T for DNA & A, G, C, U for RNA

Types of RNA and their functions

The genetic code triplets of bases

The genetic code

it is composed of mRNA

base triplets called codons there are 64 different codons each coding for the addition of an amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain the genetic code is degenerate i.e. more than one codon can code for a particular amino acid the genetic code is universal i.e. it is the same in almost all organisms AUG codes for Methionine & is the start codon some nonsense codons code for the end of translation i.e. act as stop codons

Relationship between genes and polypeptides

genes code for the synthesis

of proteins (polypeptides) one gene codes for one polypeptide chain one gene is transcribed into one mRNA mRNA is translated by a ribosome to synthesize a polypeptide if the information on a gene is changed (i.e. mutated), this may alter the structure of a protein genetic information transcribed by eukaryotes is edited before it is translated polypeptides may be altered before they become fully functional proteins

Transcription & Translation

Transcription;- the

synthesis of RNA from a DNA template, DNA base sequence of the gene is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA) Translation;- base sequence on mRNA is translated into an amino acid sequence in a polypeptide chain One gene is transcribed and translated to produce one polypeptide chain.

Transcription

RNA polymerase is the enzyme that controls transcription process RNA polymerase binds to a promoter region on the DNA RNA polymerase unwinds the DNA strands & splits it into two strands RNA polymerase binds free nucleoside triphosphates to the antisense (template) strand of DNA as it moves along in a 5'> 3' direction using complementary pairing (A with U & C with G) between template strand and mRNA nucleotides nucleoside triphosphates loses two phosphates to release the energy required for transcription process transcription continues until RNA polymerase reaches a terminator signal mRNA detaches from the template strand and DNA rewinds RNA polymerase detaches from the DNA many RNA polymerases can follow each other during transcription process introns are removed & exons spliced (in eukaryotes) to form mature mRNA

Structure of ribosomes

ribosomes are composed

of 60 % ribosomal RNA (rRNA) & 40 % protein ribosomes consists of two sub-units; small sub-unit (30S) & large sub-unit (50S) small sub-unit has binding site for mRNA large sub-unit has three tRNA binding sites: Aminacyl (A), Peptidyl (P) and Exit (E) site in eukaryotes, ribosomes can be free or bound to rough ER

Computer generated model of a ribosome

Translation

consists of initiation, elongation and termination mRNA translated in a 5' -> 3' direction mRNA binds to small ribosome sub-unit then to large ribosome sub-unit tRNA activating enzymes link correct amino acid to each tRNA activated tRNA has an anticodon and the corresponding amino acid attached First, initiator tRNA binds to start codon (AUG )on the small subunit of ribosome Second, tRNA binds to large ribosome subunit ribosome moves down mRNA after a second tRNA binds amino acid/ polypeptide on first tRNA is transferred & bonded to amino acid on second tRNA peptide bonds between amino acids catalysed by peptidyl transferase Translation requires Guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) a source of energy & (or) substrates movement of ribosome down the mRNA continues , loss of tRNA and new tRNA binds Ribosome reaches a stop codon - termination polypeptide released, the ribosome sub-units detach from the mRNA

Formation of a dipeptide from two amino acids

A diagram showing the structure of a peptide bond between two amino acids