Download PROTEIN SYNTHESIS and CONSTRUCTION SITE ANALOGY

PROTEIN SYNTHESIS and CONSTRUCTION SITE ANALOGY
Protein Synthesis
Transcription takes
place inside City Hall,
where Instructions
within the Master Plan
are copied into
Blueprints by a Copier
Machine.
Instructions
(Genes: DNA)
Transcription
City Hall
(Nucleus)
Instruction Manual
(Chromosomes)
Factoid: Genes code for
proteins and make up
only 2% of the DNA in
chromosomes. Most of
the remaining DNA has
no known function.
Project Blueprint
(mRNA)
Copier Machine
(RNA Polymerase)
The City
(Cytoplasm)
Transcription takes
place in the nucleus,
where Genes (DNA) on
Chromosomes are
transcribed into mRNA
by RNA Polymerase.
Translation takes place within
City Limits. Blueprints dictate the
types and order of transport
trucks that deliver building blocks
to the construction machine.
Each transport truck carries a
specific building block. The
Construction machine assembles
the building blocks into a building
according to the blueprint.
Translation
Translation takes place
within the cytoplasm.
mRNA dictates the types
and order of tRNA that
deliver amino acids to the
ribosome. Each tRNA
carries a specific amino
acid. The ribosome
assembles the amino acids
into a protein according to
the mRNA sequence.
Factoid: Your cells
use 20 different
amino acids to build
proteins with.
Building
block
Transport Truck
(tRNA)
Building
block
(Amino acid)
Construction
Machine
(Ribosome)
Building
(Protein)