5.

6 Polypeptide synthesis
Transcription as the production of mRNA from DNA. The role of RNA polymerase. The splicing of pre-mRNA to form mRNA in eukaryotic cells. Translation as the production of polypeptides from the sequence of codons carried by mRNA. The role of ribosomes and tRNA. Candidates should be able to show understanding of how the base sequences of nucleic acids relate to the amino acid sequence of polypeptides, when provided with suitable data interpret data from experimental work investigating the role of nucleic acids. Protein synthesis animation

Transcription
The 2 strands of DNA unwind RNA polymerase moves along the anti-sense strand causing RNA nucleotides to be assembled in an exact copy of the sense strand RNA molecule peels off the gene and passes out of the nucleus

RNA polymerase
The enzyme INITIATES transcription at specific DNA sequences known as PROMOTERS. It then adds RNA nucleotides to the strand (ELONGATION) It then releases the RNA transcript at specific DNA sequences at the end of genes known as TERMINATORS.

Splicing

Before leaving the nucleus the non-coding regions are removed from the pre-mRNA. The molecule is also capped with a particular sequence of bases that will be recognised by the ribosome. It is then referred to as mature mRNA

Translation 1
Initiation

Translation 2
Elongation

Translation 3
Termination

 Transcription and translation animation