February 15, 2011

First, we took a look at the homework. We went to the site with the stimulation.
We talked about how the DNA copies and creates a RNA. But what happens to the unzipped DNA? It rezips. In other words, the DNA zips and makes an RNA in the process we saw in the stimulation. Then the DNA goes back and rezips to the other DNA strand. Then the RNA leaves the Nucleus. This first part is called a transcription. Another question arose. What does your body do to heal a cut? New skin cells. These new cells need the DNA and so the old cells replicate and make new DNA. Next we started talking about translation. Amino acids make protiens from the RNA strand. They are made from molecules which is made from atoms. A series of three nuclietides is called of a codon or code. That code refers to a amino acid. Mr. Finley showed an example of the word "Black Block" on the board and our minds interperet it as a real black block. The code refers to the amino acid needed. So lets go back to the activity with the tables and the message. just like the message, the DNA cannot leave the nucleus. so it transcribes the DNA and makes mRNA which takes the transcription to the Ribosomes which translates it and says which amino acid to use to create protiens. This is why there is a rough endoplasmic reticulum buy the nucleus, because there is ribosomes for Protein production. After the ribosome has read the mRNA, it needs the amino acids which are transfered by the transfer RNA.
Here's the stimulation page: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/transcribe/
-Mark v.