Download Decode My Message

Decode My Message!!
Instructor Info Sheet
Standards:
1d: Students know the 4 central dogma of molecular biology outlines the flow of information from transcription of
ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the nucleus to translation of proteins on ribosomes in the cytoplasm
4a: Students know the general pathway by which ribosomes synthesize proteins, using tRNAs to translate genetic
information in mRNA.
4b: Students know how to apply the genetic coding rules to predict the sequence of amino acids from a sequence of
codons in RNA.
4e: Students know proteins can differ from one another in the number and sequence of amino acids.
5b: Students know how to apply base pairing rules to explain precise copying of DNA during semi-conservative
replication and transcription of information from DNA into mRNA.
Objective: Students will be able to apply genetic coding rules to create sentences from a sequence of mRNA codons.
Materials:
 “Decode My Message” WS
 “My mRNA Codon Table” WS
Directions:
1. Pass out “My mRNA Codon Table.
2. Students need to randomly put 60 amino acid words in the spaces of the mRNA codon table. Inform them that the
“Start” and 3 “Stop” words are already completed for them. There should be a total of 64 words in the mRNA
codon table.
3. Pass out “Decode My Message!!” handout.
4. Using the mRNA Codon Table, student need to generate a sentence with at least five words in addition to the
Start and Stop codon. Remind them to begin every sentence with a Start codon and end with Stop.
5. Instruct the students to work “backwards” to figure out the mRNA, tRNA, and DNA sequences.
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____________ Date: ________________
Decode My Message!!
Standards: 1d, 4a, 4b, 4e, 5b
Objective: Students will be able to apply genetic coding rules to create sentences from a sequence of mRNA codons.
Directions: Create your own hidden message. Use the “My mRNA Codon Table” to 1) generate a sentence with at least
five words in addition to the Start and Stop codon; 2) work “backwards” to figure out the mRNA, tRNA, and DNA
sequences.
1. DNA sequence:
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. DNA sequence :
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. DNA sequence :
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. DNA sequence :
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. DNA sequence :
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. DNA sequence:
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7. DNA sequence:
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
8. DNA sequence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
9. DNA sequence:
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
10. DNA sequence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
mRNA (codon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
tRNA (anticodon):
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
protein sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
My mRNA Codon Table
Directions: Create your mRNA codon table below. Randomly place your chosen 60 words in the spaces below. The
“start” codon (AUG) and three “stop” codons (UAG, UAA, UGA) have been completed. There should be a total of 64
amino acid words.
U
C
A
G
U
C
U
Stop
Stop
Stop
A
G
U
C
C
A
G
U
C
A
A
Start
G
U
C
G
A
G