Name__________________________________ Date____________
Period ___________________
1
RNA
RNA is a copy of DNA that goes out into the cytoplasm to tell the cell
what to do in order to stay alive
 RNA: ribonucleic acid
 You can always make more ____ so it’s ok if it gets destroyed
(You can’t make more ____!!!)
DNA
RNA
How many
____
___
strands?
Nucleotide
subunit
_____
Group
_____________
Sugar
____
Base
_____
Group
_______
Sugar
____
Base
Bases
Thymine (T)
_______(U)
_–A
T–A
Adenine (A)
Adenine (A)
Guanine (G)
Guanine (G)
G–C
G–C
Cytosine (C)
Cytosine (C)
Transcription
 Definition: _____ is made from 1 gene in _____
 The type of RNA made is called ____ (messenger RNA) because it
sends a message from DNA to the cytoplasm
DNA safe in the nucleus
Uses mRNA
To send a message to
the cytoplasm
Source: http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=23923
Name__________________________________ Date____________

Period ___________________
2
Transcription
o Unzip one gene in _____
o Match up bases to ____side of gene in DNA
o mRNA detaches from the _____
o mRNA moves out of the nucleus and into the __________
Practice:
DNA: GAG AAC TAG TAC AAT ACC TAT CGG GGG CAT
RNA: ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____
DNA mRNA
Transcription
happens in the
______. An
RNA copy of a
gene is made.
Then the
mRNA that
has been made
moves out of
the nucleus
into the
cytoplasm
mRNA
Cytoplasm
of cell
Once in the
________,
the mRNA is
used to make
a protein.
Source: http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=23923
Name__________________________________ Date____________
Period ___________________
3
How does mRNA tell the cell what to do?
 mRNA is a _________ that codes for a ____________
 Proteins are made in the ________ and then work to keep the cell
alive
 Translation (__________synthesis): process of making a protein
 Proteins are made up of ________ _______ (small building blocks)
 There are 20 different types of amino acids
Amino Acids
Source: http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=23923
Name__________________________________ Date____________
Period ___________________
4
Nucleus
Process of Translation
1. mRNA moves out of
the _______ and into
the __________
2.
Cytoplasm
mRNA attatches to
a ___________
Ribosome
3.Transfer RNA (tRNA)
decodes the mRNA and
brings the ____ ____to
build up the protein.
tRNA
Amino
acid
Anticodon (3 bases on
tRNA): Matches up to
codons on mRNA
4. Protein (chain of amino acids)
and detaches from ribosome and
goes off to work in the cell.
rRNA- Combines with proteins to make
ribosomes.
Source: http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=23923
Name__________________________________ Date____________
Period ___________________
5
Genetic Code
 Code that matches codons in mRNA to amino acids on tRNAs
1
Translation
Transcription
DNA
________ to
make proteins are
safely stored in
the nucleus
RNA
_______ the
directions to
the cytoplasm
Protein
Work to keep
the cell alive
Source: http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=23923