Download simulating protein synthesis

Name ____________________________________________
SIMULATING PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
Period __________ Date _____________ Seat _______
(Right-hand model)
Introduction
In this activity you will gain some basic knowledge of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. While doing these processes, you will simulate the
role of DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, and a ribosome.
Procedure Overview
On page 2 you will see a strand of DNA called the coding strand. It will have the base sequence ATGCCTAGT. From this coding strand you
will simulate the enzyme DNA polymerase and construct a complementary strand of DNA, known as the template strand. The coding
strand and template strand make up the two strands of DNA’s double helix. The diagram below shows the relationship between the coding
and template strands.
After the template strand has been constructed, it will serve as a pattern to make messenger RNA (mRNA). It is the mRNA code that
determines the amino acid arrangement which make up proteins. The DNA coding strand, DNA template strand, mRNA strand, and the
amino acids you construct will all be glued to the next three pages.
On the back counter you will find two kinds of nucleotides, DNA and RNA. DNA nucleotides contain the sugar Deoxyribose and RNA
nucleotides contain the sugar Ribose. Make sure you pay careful attention to this detail when constructing nucleotide sequences.
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Name ____________________________________________
SIMULATING PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
Period __________ Date _____________ Seat _______
(Right-hand model)
Directions
DNA Synthesis
1. Cut out the colored DNA nucleotides you will need to make a complementary sequence to the coding strand.
2. Starting from right to left, neatly glue the nucleotides directly on top of the pattern of the DNA template strand.
DO NOT glue the mRNA strand to this page. It is to be glued on page 3 instead.
The two DNA strands above represent an unwound segment of DNA, which is now ready to be transcribed into RNA.
DNA to RNA Transcription
3. Obtain the colored RNA nucleotides needed to make a complementary sequence to the DNA template strand.
4. Starting left to right, neatly glue the nucleotides together to make a strand of mRNA. DO NOT GLUE the mRNA strand to this page.
Instead, glue it to the mRNA template provided at the top of page 3.
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Name ____________________________________________
SIMULATING PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
Period __________ Date _____________ Seat _______
(Right-hand model)
5. Paste the mRNA strand you made on page 2 directly on top of the mRNA pattern below.
Codon 1
Anticodon 1
Codon 2
Codon 3
Anticodon 2
Anticodon 3
Translation
6. Cut out three tRNA molecules and glue them to the patterns shown above.
7. Starting from right to left, glue three RNA nucleotides to each tRNA molecule to make complementary anticodons.
8. Use a codon chart to determine which amino acid each tRNA will carry.
9. Cut out the amino acids and glue each one to its corresponding tRNA molecule.
10. Cut out the same three amino acids and glue them together to make a short polypeptide. Glue the polypeptide in the box on page 4.
11. Answer the questions on the next page.
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Name ____________________________________________
SIMULATING PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
Period __________ Date _____________ Seat _______
(Right-hand model)
Questions
1. In this activity you simulated two enzymes. What enzyme role did you play in
step 2? ________________________________________________________________________________
Paste your polypeptide here
step 4? ________________________________________________________________________________
2. In this activity you acted out three cellular processes. What process did
you model in
step 2? ________________________________________________________________________________
step 4? ________________________________________________________________________________
steps 6-10? ___________________________________________________________________________
3. What is a polypeptide made of? ____________________________________________________
4. What molecular “machine” works with mRNA and tRNA in steps 6-8 to produce polypeptides? _____________________________________
5. Where in the cell does transcription take place? ___________________________________________
6. Where in the cell does translation take place?
___________________________________________
7. Does page 2 of this activity represent a cell’s nucleus or cytoplasm? Explain ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Some newly made polypeptides are not considered proteins because they are not yet functional. Explain why they are not functional.
9. Write the codon for the first amino acid in your polypeptide. ______________ What is another name for this codon? __________________________
10. Between the processes of transcription and translation there is another process we did not model. What process was that?
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