Welcome Year 11

Sit in your allocated seat, get out your equipment and

write the title and date, and

begin the starter.
1 April 2024

Title: Protein Synthesis

Starter: 3 MINS

Food for thought: how much DNA do you think you share
with a banana?

In terms of bytes, how much data do you think 1cm of DNA

can hold?

How many cm of DNA are contained in each nucleus? (not

very helpful hint, it folds down into a space 6μm wide)
50% 10GB 2m (you do the
maths)
DNA Structure
The two polynucleotides lay
next to each other, but they
run in opposite directions –
they are known as anti-
parallel.

The sugar and

phosphates are positioned
on the outside and make up
the strong backbone of the
DNA.

The bases are on the

inside, and will form weak
hydrogen bonds with a
complementary base from
the opposite strand.
DNA Structure
The “rungs” of the DNA “ladder” are made from pairs of bases.

There are four types of bases. They have complicated names so it

is easier to use their initials instead.
Adenine

Cytosine

Guanine

Thymine

These bases always pair together in the same way.

Task: using the diagram above, how do you think the four bases pair
up?
DNA Structure
Base pairs hold the two strands of the DNA helix together.
The rules for base pairing are…
A always pairs with T

C always pairs with G

There are millions of base pairs in a DNA molecule that always

follow these rules.
Amazingly, it is the sequence of bases along a DNA molecule
that forms the genetic code.
DNA Structure
Application: Write out these
A always pairs with T strands of DNA with their
complimentary base pairs:

C always pairs with G

1) CCGGATTGCAATCG 3) GCGCATATGTTAAC
1) GGCCTAACGTTAGC 3) CGCGTATACAATTG

2) AAGCATTGCCAATA 4) TCCGGATTAGGCCT
2)TTCGTAACGGTTAT 4) AGGCCTAATCCGGA
Protein synthesis
Genes stay in the nucleus, but protein synthesis takes
place in the cytoplasm. This means the genetic code must
be copied and then transferred out of the nucleus to the
cytoplasm.

This is carried out by a different kind of nucleic acid called

RNA (ribonucleic acid).
RNA Structure RNA is a polymer made from monomers called
nucleotides.

Phosphate

Nitrogen
containing base
Sugar
(RIBOSE)
Adenine (A)
Cytosine (C)
Guanine (G)
Uracil (U)

Task: Spot the difference between RNA and DNA nucleotides

RNA Structure Phosphate

Organic Base

Pentose sugar

Nucleotides join
together to form a long Phosphate

chain known as a Organic Base

polynucleotide.
Pentose sugar

RNA is a single
polynucleotide.
Phosphate

Organic Base

Pentose sugar
DNA vs RNA
Protein synthesis
Protein synthesis (process in which the genetic code is
made into proteins) involves two steps:

1. Transcription

2. Translation
Transcription
Transcription is the process by which the information in a
strand of DNA is copied into a new molecule of messenger
RNA (mRNA).

The mRNA is able to leave the nucleus and transfer the

genetic code to the cytoplasm where proteins are made.
Transcription

1. DNA is unzipped (the hydrogen bonds between

complementary are broken) by an enzyme and the
two strands uncoil and separate to reveal the gene
to be copied
Transcription

2. Free RNA nucleotides move into place along one

of the two strands called the template strand.

The single strand of mRNA is formed.

Task: What would the

RNA complementary
strand of the top DNA
strand be? (Remember
U!)
Transcription

2. Free RNA nucleotides move into place along one

of the two strands called the template strand.

The single strand of mRNA is formed.

Task: What would the

RNA complementary
strand of the top DNA
strand be? (Remember
U!)
Transcription

3. When the mRNA strand is finished it detaches from

the DNA. The DNA is ‘zipped’ up (the hydrogen bonds
reform) again by an enzyme.

The mRNA leaves the nucleus through the nuclear

pores to where translation begins.
 Welcome Year 11
Sit in your allocated seat, get out your equipment and

write the title and date, and

begin the starter.
1 April 2024

Title: Protein Synthesis 2

Starter: 3 MINS

Draw a cartoon or write an original analogy to describe the

process of transcription.
Translation
Translation is the process in which organelles called
ribosomes synthesise proteins.

Another RNA molecule is involved in this step, called

transfer RNA or tRNA.
Translation - tRNA

Each tRNA is
specific for one
amino acid.

Each tRNA molecule

has a sequence of
three bases called
an anticodon.

These are
complementary to
codons on the
mRNA molecule.
Translation

1. The transcribed mRNA moves out of the nucleus via

a nuclear pore and combines with a ribosome.

ribosome

mRNA
strand
Translation

2. tRNA molecules attach to the ribosome, and their

anticodons pair up with the appropriate codons on the
mRNA.
Translation

3. The amino acids transported by the tRNA link together

(by forming bonds), and the tRNA molecules then return to
the cytoplasm to attach to another free (but specific) amino
acid.
Translation

4. The ribosome moves along the mRNA, and amino acids

continue to join together (bonds form between them) until
all the codons have been translated and theprotein is
complete.
Protein synthesis

Task: Watch this video and

draw a cartoon to represent
protein synthesis

• https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=h5mJbP23Buo&index
=4&list=PLwL0Myd7Dk1HK
8gH2XIafNgQJD1dMX2aW
 Thumbs up or down
Learning objectives:
• Understand that an RNA molecule is single
stranded and contains uracil (U) instead of
thymine (T)
• Describe the stages of protein synthesis
including transcription and translation,
including the role of mRNA, ribosomes, tRNA,
codons and anticodons