Just as a construction crew uses blueprints to build a house, a cell uses DNA as plans for building proteins. In addition to DNA, another nucleic acid, called RNA, is involved in making proteins. In the RNA and Protein Synthesis Gizmo, you will use both DNA and RNA to construct a protein out of amino acids.

1. DNA is composed of the nitrogenous bases Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine. RNA is composed of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Uracil.

Look at the SIMULATION pane. Is the displayed segment a part of a DNA or RNA molecule? How do you know?

 

    2. RNA polymerase is a type of enzyme. Enzymes help chemical processes occur quickly. Drag the yellow RNA polymerase molecule onto the DNA strand. Describe what happens.

Nitrogenous bases of RNA are

A uracil and adenine

B thymine and uracil

C uracil, adenine, guanine and cytosine

D thymine, adenine, guanine and cytosine

1. Translate the following mRNA strand: AUG ACG GGU AGA UGG UGA.

2. Transcribe the following strand of DNA: AGT CCA GTA

_____3. Which of the following is the building block that will be used to make a nucleic acid?

(a) amino acid (b) glucose (c) triglyceride (d) glycerol (e) nucleotide

_____4. Which of the following nitrogenous bases is NOT found in DNA?

(a) adenine (b) thymine (c) uracil (d) cytosine (e) guanine

_____5. Adenine will base pair with:

(a) thymine (b) adenine (c) cytosine (d) guanine

_____6. What is the name of the process that will copy DNA into RNA?

(a) transcription (b) translation (c) replication (d) mitosis

_____7. Using the genetic code in this lab, what does the codon CCU code for?

(a) met (b) stop (c) leu (d) pro (e) arg

1) Why do you think there are equal amounts of cytosine and guanine and equal amounts of adenine and thymine in the DNA of a cell?

2) What might happen if there were an extra nitrogen base deleted from the mRNA code?

3) Summarize how DNA directs the making of a protein.

4) Describe a protein molecule.

5) In what part of the cell is a protein molecule made?