Protein
Synthesis
By: Kim Shoemaker
Nucleus
Cell
DNA
transcription
occurs in the
nucleus of the
cell.
Nucleus
Adenine
Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Thymine

Guanine

Adenine
Cytosine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Guanine

Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

3’
5’

Thymine

5’
3’
Adenine
Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Thymine

Guanine

Adenine
Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Guanine

Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

5’
3’

3’
5’

Thymine

RNA
Polymerase
Adenine
Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Thymine

Guanine

Adenine
Adenine

Thymine

Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Guanine

Thymine

Adenine

Thymine

Cytosine

Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

Guanine

Guanine

Cytosine

3’
5’

5’
G
3’

RNA
Polymerase

Adenine

A

U
Thymine

Thymine

Adenine

Thymine

Guanine

Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

G A C
A C

Thymine
Adenine

Adenine

RNA
Polymerase

Thymine

Cytosine

Thymine

Guanine
Adenine

Thymine

G C
A

Guanine

Adenine

3’

Cytosine

Cytosine

Adenine

A U G
A U G

Guanine

Cytosine

Cytosine

Adenine

Thymine

Guanine

5’
Guanine

Cytosine

Adenine

mRNA strand

C
C A
5’

3’
Thymine

Thymine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Thymine

Thymine

Thymine

Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Thymine

G A C
G A C
A C
A

3’

Adenine

Adenine

Cytosine

Adenine

Guanine

Adenine

Adenine

G C
A

Guanine

Cytosine

Cytosine

Guanine

Guanine

Cytosine

Cytosine

Adenine

Thymine

Guanine

5’
Guanine

Cytosine

Adenine

A U
A U G
G
C
C A
A U
AU G
U
5’

3’
Thymine

Thymine
Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine
Adenine
Cytosine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Cytosine

Adenine

Thymine

Adenine

Adenine

Guanine

Cytosine

Guanine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Guanine

Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

3’
5’

Thymine

5’
3’
Adenine
Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Thymine

Guanine

Adenine
Cytosine

Adenine

Adenine

Thymine

Cytosine

Thymine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Adenine

Guanine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

Guanine

Adenine

Cytosine

Thymine

3’
5’

Thymine

5’
3’
Ribosomes

Cytoplasm
Translation occurs in the
cytoplasm.
Nuclear Pore

A U
A U G
G

C
C A
G C
A

G A C
G A C
A C
A

A U
AU G
U
A U
A U G
G

C
C A
G C
A

Nucleus

G A C
G A C
A C
A

A U
AU G
U
A U G
A U G

C
C A U

G
G

G A C
G A C
A C
A

A U U
A
G
tRNA
Amino acid

Ribosome
U A

Large
subunit

U
G U
U U AA

A
A
A G
G

G
C G

G U A
G
“Start”
codon

codons

U A
C C
A

Small
subuni
t

Anticodon

“Stop” codon
U
G U
U U AA

A
A
A G
G

G
C G

U A
C C
A

G U A
G
T A

G T A
U
G U
U U AA

A
A
A G
G

G
C G

U A
C C
A

G U A
G

G T A
G T
Peptide bond
U
G U
U U AA

A
A
A G
G

G
C G

U A
C C
A

G T
T G
U
G U
U U AA

G
C G
T G
U
G U
U U AA
Polypeptide chain
Summary:
DNA transcription occurs in the nucleus of the cell. RNA polymerase breaks the
hydrogen bonds in the DNA and makes the mRNA strand from the base pairs. As
RNA polymerase is making the mRNA strand the hydrogen bonds reform. The
mRNA strand then goes to the cytoplasm to go through translation so the mRNA
can be translated into protein. A ribosome (rRNA) takes the mRNA strand in it’s
small subunit and at the beginning of the strand there is a start codon then there are
three codons and then there is a stop codon. The start codon is always AUG. The
start codon is in the small subunit of the ribosome and a tRNA molecule comes into
the large subunit of the ribosome with the anti codon of the start codon and the
codon and the anti codon attach and when they come apart the amino acid at the
top of the tRNA molecule forms a peptide bond with the amino acid with the next
tRNA molcule’s amino acid. Then the process continues like that until the stop
codon is reached and the stop codon does not have an anti codon so the polypeptide
chain is completed and released. When the chain is released all of the amino acids
have their own charge so they all come together in a globular structure, which is a
protein.

Kshoemaker Protein synthesis project