Bio 107 Lab 7 Transcription and Translation

*Change the “Page Setup” to landscape in order to print this section of the lab*

In this lab we will be using physical models to help illustrate the process by which cells convert DNA sequence into polypeptide chains that make up structural and functional proteins. The components that are responsible for Transcription are located below.

1. Cut out each of the components and use them to illustrate Transcription. To do this, you will have to ask the following questions: Where does RNA polymerase attach to DNA? Which strand of the DNA is used to by RNA polymerase in placement of the nucleotides of the RNA transcript? How would you describe this placement of nucleotides? What role might activators and repressors have in transcription? Where does all this happen?

2. Using the “RNA” strand, transcribe the appropriate “bases” of an mRNA molecule for the given strand of DNA (ie. Use a pencil to write the correct letter above the line labeled RNA).

Transcription

Translation

Once you have successfully “transcribed” the correct DNA sequence, use this mRNA to illustrate the process of Translation. The components that are responsible for Transcription are located below.

1. Cut out each of the components and use them to illustrate Translation. To do this, you will have to ask the following questions: What has to be present for translation to begin? Where on the ribosome do the tRNAs attach? What determines which tRNAs attach to the ribosome and mRNA? What happens to the amino acids on the tRNAs? What causes translation to start and stop? Where does all of this happen?