Activity 4- Gene Expression

Evaluation
1. Compare and contrast transcription and translation using a T-Chart.

Transcription
Differences
- Synthesizes an RNA molecule that
is complementary to one strand of
the DNA for a particular gene.
- Involves the creation of mRNA
from DNA.
- Occurs in the nucleus of a
eukaryotic cell.
- End products are mRNA, tRNA,
rRNA, and non-coding RNA.
- Proteins needed are Enzymes and
Transcription Factors.
Translation
Similarities Differences
- Uses the information in the mRNA to
- Both occur in cytoplasm in
manufacture protein by aligning and
prokaryotes.
joining specified amino acids.
- Both involved in gene expression.
- Does the protein synthesis by using
- Both are essential in protein mRNA strands.
synthesis.
- Occurs in the cytoplasm.
- End products are proteins
- Proteins needed are Aminoacyl-tRNA
synthetases and protein factors.

2. The following segment of DNA codes for a protein. The uppercase letters represent exons. The lowercase letters
represent introns. The lower strand is the template strand.
a. Indicate the 3’ and 5’ ends of both strands.
5’ G C T A T A A T G G C A a a a t t g G G T C A G G C A a a t c g a C A T A G C T G A C G G g g a t g a G G T T A A 3’
3’ C G A T A T T A C C G T t t t a a c C C A G T C C G T t t a g c t G T A T C G A C T G C C c c t a c t C C A A T T 5’

b. Write the pre-mRNA molecule. Indicate the 3’ and 5’ ends.

5’ G C U A U A A U G G C A a a a u u g G G U C A G G C A a a u c g a C A U A G C U G A C G G g g a u g a G G U U A
A 3’

c. Write the mRNA molecule. Indicate the 3’ and 5’ ends

5’ G C U A U A A U G G C A G G U C A G G C A C A U A G C U G A C G G G G U U A A 3’

d. Write the tRNA anticodons corresponding to the codons in the mRNA.

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

e. Write the sequence of amino acids in the resulting polypeptide.

Tyr – Arg – Pro – Val – Arg – Val – Ser