AP BIOLOGY

THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF INHERITANCE

DNA MAKES RNA MAKES PROTEIN

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
During protein synthesis, the RNA sequence UAC GAU CUA, is produced from then DNA sequence ATG CTA GAT. Which process is occurring?
A
translation
B
transcription
C
transmutation
D
transformation
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The codon for Methionine; the translation initiation codon. Usually, protein translation can only start at a Methionine codon (although this codon may be found elsewhere within the protein sequence as well). In eukaryotic DNA, the sequence is ATG; in RNA it is AUG.

Detailed explanation-2: -Redundancy in the genetic code means that most amino acids are specified by more than one mRNA codon. For example, the amino acid phenylalanine (Phe) is specified by the codons UUU and UUC, and the amino acid leucine (Leu) is specified by the codons CUU, CUC, CUA, and CUG.

Detailed explanation-3: -This leads to a total of 10 codons in the mRNA sequence AUGGCAGUGCCA as AUG, UGG, GGC, GCA, CAG, AGU, GUG, UGC, GCC, CCA.

Detailed explanation-4: -If you look at the code in the anti-codon for methionine, it is UAC. That is exactly complementary to AUG. The U in the anti-codon will pair with the A in the messenger RNA; the A in the anti-codon pairs with the U in the mRNA; and the C in the anti-codon pairs with the G in the mRNA.

There is 1 question to complete.