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Translate This!
How are proteins made from DNA?
ROLE:
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BACKGROUND: Proteins are the workers of our cells, and they determine all the traits of our cells,
and therefore, of us. Our DNA holds the key to making proteins, or protein synthesis. The basis of all
molecular biology is: DNA is transcribed (copied) to RNA, which is translated to protein. Protein is never
translated back to RNA; and except with certain viruses, DNA is never created from RNA. Furthermore,
DNA is never directly translated to protein. DNA to RNA to protein… always!!
FIGURE 1. The Flow of Genetic Information.
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions with your group, using the figures provided. You do NOT
need to use complete sentences, unless the question asks you to.
1. What does “protein synthesis” mean?
Use a COMPLETE SENTENCE.
2. What is it called when DNA is copied into RNA? (Hint: Look at the arrows.)
3. What is it called when RNA is used to make a protein? (Hint: Look at the arrows.)
4. What is formed when many amino acids link together?
5. How many RNA base pairs are “translated” into an amino acid?
6. What does the word “translate” mean in English?
FIGURE 2. Steps of Protein Synthesis Inside a Cell.
7. Is this a eukaryotic or prokaryotic cell? Explain how you know. (Hint: Look at what’s inside the cell!)
8. What is reading three letters on the RNA and making the protein?
9. If the DNA cannot leave the nucleus, how does the information get to the protein-maker?
READ THIS BEFORE MOVING ON:
In protein synthesis, the RNA message needs to be translated into the language of proteins.
RNA uses a language of its monomers, nucleotides, while proteins use the language of amino
acids. Our ribosomes translate every three RNA nucleotides into one amino acid.
The next figure shows a “dictionary” that scientists use to translate these languages. Your group
must determine how to read this dictionary. For simplicity sake, we will be using the English
language instead of the amino acid language.
FIGURE 3. Example of a Protein Synthesis Translation Dictionary.
Second Nucleotide
First Nucleotide
A
U
G
C
U
are
puppy
television
electric
think
thought
bananas
friend
love
eating
movie
year
point
engineer
driving
the
G
candy
be
favorite
college
which
hello
that
because
lunch
what
quote
pirate
man
elephant
world
you
C
am
we
dance
but
fly
doing
there
their
funny
I
dog
cat
read
face
book
like
A
U
G
C
A
U
G
C
A
U
G
C
A
U
G
C
Third Nucleotide
A
okay
magazine
soup
with
what
do
they
of
why
how
her
his
class
teacher
student
smell
10. Fill in the blank with the correct number:
The ribosome reads every ____ nucleotides to make one amino acid.
We will be using this same number for the dictionary above.
11. Look at the dictionary above, and figure out how it is used. Translate the following English sentence
into the language of RNA nucleotide (AUGCs). The first one is done for you.
Hello
How
Are
You
U G U
___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___
EXTENSION:
12. Using the dictionary above, create your own sentence in the language of RNA. This means write a
sentence using only the letters A, U, G, and C! See if your neighbor can translate it into English!