Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis involves the creation of proteins from amino acids, coded by DNA. DNA's base order determines the protein by coding specific amino acid sequences. Codons, sets of three DNA bases, code for amino acids. Essential amino acids must be ingested, while non-essential ones are synthesized by the body. Protein synthesis occurs in two main stages: transcription and translation. During transcription, RNA polymerase unwinds DNA in the nucleus, creating mRNA. This mRNA travels to the ribosome in the cytoplasm, where translation occurs. Here, tRNA molecules bring amino acids to the ribosome, matching mRNA codons to form a polypeptide chain, which folds into a protein.

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