PROTEIN

SYNTHESIS
GUIDED
PRACTICE
BY LANEY LEE
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PROTEIN SYNTHESIS Name: _____________

As you can see in the diagram to

the left, to begin the process of
protein synthesis, the DNA must
first be opened and an RNA
molecule must be made.

RNA is different from DNA in a

couple ways. It’s made of the sugar
ribose rather than deoxyribose, it
uses uracil instead of thymine, and
most importantly, it can leave the
nucleus.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is made by matching complimentary nucleotides to their

partners. Practice determining the mRNA sequence from the original DNA sequence.

Hint: When you would have put a T, put a U now.

DNA A T G T T C A G A DNA T A G G A T C C G

mRNA mRNA

DNA G C A T A G T T A DNA G C C C T A A C G

mRNA mRNA

After it is created, the mRNA will

leave the nucleus and travel to a
ribosome.

Inside the ribosome the mRNA is

matched in 3 letter segments with
complementary Transfer RNA
(tRNA). These three letter segments
are called codons.

Each codon codes for a specific

amino acid, which will be bonded to
the tRNA and added to the peptide
chain as it is matched to the
complementary mRNA codon.
©Laney Lee 2020
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS Name: _____________
Practice matching mRNA with the complementary tRNA strand. Again, remember that
any where you would have had a T, you will again have a U.

A U C G G U A U U C A G C U A

U G A U A A G A C A C U A G U

In order to determine which amino acid will be added to the growing peptide chain, we
look at the codon, or three letter code, in the mRNA, not the tRNA. Consider the
tRNA as just the vehicle which transports the amino acid to it’s place. The mRNA is
the keeper of the actual message. Use the table by matching the codon starting from
the center and following the letters towards the outside.

Practice determining which amino acid

will be added based on each codon.

mRNA Codon Amino Acid

AUG
GUA
UAC
CAU
UUA
GGC
UAG
UGA
CCC
CAG
AAC
©Laney Lee 2020
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS Name: _____________

Finally, you should be able to transcribe and translate a molecule of DNA from start
to finish. Helpful hints to remember:
•Only DNA has thymine (T), from there, all T’s should be replaced with U’s (uracil)
•The amino acid is determined using the codon in the mRNA, not the tRNA. Make
sure you’re looking at the right row!
•You can’t determine amino acids without the help of a decoder like the one on
the previous page. Flip back!

G T A A T A C G A T C G A A C

C A G T A C C G T A C G T A T

©Laney Lee 2020

 PROTEIN
SYNTHESIS
GUIDED
PRACTICE
KEY
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS Name: _____________

As you can see in the diagram to

the left, to begin the process of
protein synthesis, the DNA must
first be opened and an RNA
molecule must be made.

RNA is different from DNA in a

couple ways. It’s made of the sugar
ribose rather than deoxyribose, it
uses uracil instead of thymine, and
most importantly, it can leave the
nucleus.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is made by matching complimentary nucleotides to their

partners. Practice determining the mRNA sequence from the original DNA sequence.

Hint: When you would have put a T, put a U now.

DNA A T G T T C A G A DNA T A G G A T C C G

mRNA U A C A A G U C U mRNA A U C C U A G G C

DNA G C A T A G T T A DNA G C C C T A A C G

mRNA C G U A U C A A U mRNA C G G G A U U G C

After it is created, the mRNA will

leave the nucleus and travel to a
ribosome.

Inside the ribosome the mRNA is

matched in 3 letter segments with
complementary Transfer RNA
(tRNA). These three letter segments
are called codons.

Each codon codes for a specific

amino acid, which will be bonded to
the tRNA and added to the peptide
chain as it is matched to the
complementary mRNA codon.
©Laney Lee 2020
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS Name: _____________
Practice matching mRNA with the complementary tRNA strand. Again, remember that
any where you would have had a T, you will again have a U.

A U C G G U A U U C A G C U A

U A G C C A U A A G U C G A U

U G A U A A G A C A C U A G U

A C U A U U C U G U G A U C A

In order to determine which amino acid will be added to the growing peptide chain, we
look at the codon, or three letter code, in the mRNA, not the tRNA. Consider the
tRNA as just the vehicle which transports the amino acid to it’s place. The mRNA is
the keeper of the actual message. Use the table by matching the codon starting from
the center and following the letters towards the outside.

Practice determining which amino acid

will be added based on each codon.

mRNA Codon Amino Acid

AUG MET
GUA VAL
UAC TYR
CAU HIS
UUA LEU
GGC GLY
UAG TER
UGA TER
CCC PRO
CAG GLN
AAC ASN
©Laney Lee 2020
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS Name: _____________

Finally, you should be able to transcribe and translate a molecule of DNA from start
to finish. Helpful hints to remember:
•Only DNA has thymine (T), from there, all T’s should be replaced with U’s (uracil)
•The amino acid is determined using the codon in the mRNA, not the tRNA. Make
sure you’re looking at the right row!
•You can’t determine amino acids without the help of a decoder like the one on
the previous page. Flip back!

G T A A T A C G A T C G A A C

C A U U A U G C U A G C U U G

G U A A U A C G A U C G A A C

HIS TYR ALA SER LEU

C A G T A C C G T A C G T A T

G T C A U G G C A U G C A U A

C A G U A C C G U A C G U A U

VAL LEU ALA CYS ILE

©Laney Lee 2020

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