Unit 5: Translation

What is the end product of translation?

protein/polypeptide/amino acid chain/polypeptide chain

What are the four most common types of proteins?

Enzymatic, structural, carrier, and regulatory.

What kind of RNA is involved in the process of translation?

Three types: mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA.

What are proteins made from?

amino acid monomers

What are the four pieces of an amino acid monomer?

amino group, alpha-carbon, carboxyl group, and variable R group

Which part of an amino acid monomer makes each of the 20 amino acids different from one another?

The R-group

Where is the R-group attached to the rest of the amino acid?

the alpha carbon

What is the bond between two amino acid monomers called?

peptide bond

What reaction forms a peptide bond?

dehydration synthesis

What is a codon?

a sequence of three nucleotides that together form a unit of genetic code in a DNA or mRNA molecule.

When biologists say that the genetic code in translation is "redundant", what do we mean?

More than one codon corresponds to most amino acids.

What is the adapter molecule between the mRNA and the correct amino acids?

tRNA

How does tRNA bind to mRNA?

The tRNA has an anticodon that is complementary to the mRNA's codon.

What intermolecular force is essential during translation?

Hydrogen bonding between complementary base pairs. (Codon and anti-codon)

Where does translation take place?

ribosomes in the cytoplasm (and ER)

What is an Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase

an enzyme that attaches the correct amino acids to corresponding tRNA molecules

What is a ribosome?

it is the structure made of both RNA and protein that facilitates translation. Has a small and a large subunit.

What role does mRNA have in translation?

it is the molecule that is read by the ribosome and translated into a polypeptide.

What is the ribosome binding site?

it is a section of the mRNA that is recognized/bound by the small ribosomal subunit in order to initiate translation.

What is the initiator tRNA?

the first tRNA that binds the start codon of the mRNA.

What amino acid is carried by the initiator tRNA?

Methionine

What occurs in the A-site of the ribosome?

the tRNA anti-codon hydrogen binds to the mRNA

What occurs in the p-site of the ribosome?

the peptide bond is formed between the amino acid chain and the next amino acid attached to a tRNA correctly bonded to the mRNA.

What occurs in the E-site of the ribosome?

a now empty tRNA briefly occupies this space before it exits the ribosome

What is a release factor?

a protein that binds the stop codon on the mRNA and hydrolyzes the bond between the last tRNA and its amino acid.

How does initiation of translation occur?

The small ribosome subunit binds to a specific sequence in the 5' UTR.

What is the large ribosome subunit waiting for before joining the small subunit during translation initiation?

The charged initiator tRNA that binds to the start codon in the P site.