Laboratory Report: Protein Synthesis

Categories: Biology

Report, Pages 3 (588 words)

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Abstract

The objective of this lab was to investigate the molecular process of protein synthesis from RNA. We aimed to confirm the hypothesis that RNA governs the sequence of amino acids in proteins and polypeptides through a two-step process: transcription of DNA to mRNA within the nucleus and subsequent translation of mRNA to tRNA in the ribosome within the cytoplasm. This experiment involved transcribing DNA to create mRNA and building a sequence of amino acids through translation.

Introduction

Protein synthesis is a fundamental biological process essential for the functioning of living organisms.

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The ribosome, a molecular machinery, reads instructions encoded in messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules and assembles proteins by linking amino acids together. This process, known as translation, relies on the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA.

Materials and Methods

Materials:

DNA sample
RNA polymerase enzyme
Nucleotides (A, U, C, G)
Ribosome
tRNA molecules
Amino acids
Dehydration synthesis reagents

Methods:

The experiment was divided into several steps:

Identify the Antisense Strand: Extract the antisense strand of DNA from the cell nucleus.
Transcribe DNA to Create mRNA: Utilize RNA polymerase enzyme to transcribe the DNA into mRNA.
Locate Codons on mRNA: Identify start (AUG), stop (UAA), and other codons on the mRNA.
Match Codons to tRNA Anticodons: Pair the mRNA codons with their respective tRNA anticodons and attached amino acids.
Perform Dehydration Synthesis: Use dehydration synthesis reagents in the ribosome to build the amino acid chain.

Results

Molecular Process of Protein Synthesis

The molecular process of protein synthesis consists of transcription and translation, as shown in Table 1:

Table 1: Steps in Protein Synthesis
Step	Process
Transcription	DNA is transcribed to mRNA in the nucleus.
Translation	mRNA is translated to tRNA in the ribosome, and amino acids are linked together.

Sequence of Amino Acids

The sequence of amino acids in the protein strand was determined by matching mRNA codons to their tRNA
anticodons. The codons and anticodons are shown in Table 2:

Table 2: Codons and Anticodons
Codon	Anticodon	Amino Acid
AUG	TAC	Methionine (Start)
GUA	CAU	Histidine
CUG	GAC	Glutamine
CCA	GGU	Glycine
GUG	CAC	Valine
UAU	AUA	Tyrosine
ACG	UGC	Threonine
UCG	AGC	Serine
UAC	AUG	Tyrosine
UGC	CGA	Cysteine
CAG	GUC	Glutamine
UGU	ACA	Cysteine
AUA	UAU	Isoleucine
CGU	GCA	Arginine
CGG	CCG	Arginine
UAA	TTA	(Stop)

The final protein strand, with the amino acid sequence encoded by the mRNA, is as follows:

Methionine-Histidine-Glutamine-Glycine-Valine-Tyrosine-Threonine-Serine-Tyrosine-Cysteine-Glutamine-Cysteine-Isoleucine-Arginine-Arginine

Discussion

The results of this experiment support the hypothesis that RNA dictates the sequence of amino acids in proteins and polypeptides through a two-step process: transcription in the nucleus and translation in the ribosome. The initial DNA strand was transcribed into mRNA, and this mRNA was then translated into tRNA with the help of the ribosome. The tRNA molecules brought the corresponding amino acids, and dehydration synthesis was performed in the ribosome to construct the protein strand.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this lab experiment successfully demonstrated the process of protein synthesis from RNA. The results confirm that RNA plays a pivotal role in determining the sequence of amino acids in proteins and polypeptides. The experiment involved the transcription of DNA to create mRNA, the identification of codons on the mRNA, and the matching of codons to tRNA anticodons to build a specific amino acid chain. The knowledge gained from this experiment contributes to our understanding of essential biological processes.