1. Click Here to Begin Your Lab
Protein Synthesis Lab
Click Here to Begin Your Lab

2. Background
Welcome to the CELL. Many process occur regularly that keep the CELL alive. Of these processes, one of the most important is a process called “Protein Synthesis.” It is this process that uses the information stored in DNA to create the CELL’S proteins.
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3. Warm-up DNA mRNA codon tRNA Ribosome
Directions: On your sheet of paper, match each definition to the correct term
Brings the amino acids to the ribosome
Assembles the protein by combining amino acids
Stores the information on how to make the various proteins of the body.
Is a copy of a gene that can leave the nucleus later to be read by a ribosome.
Equals 3 bases, also equals 1 amino acid
DNA
mRNA
codon
tRNA
Ribosome
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4. The first step of Protein synthesis is called Transcription
The first step of Protein synthesis is called Transcription. Click on the organelle where transcription takes place in eukaryotic cells
Mitochondria
Mitochondria
Rough E.R.
Golgi Apparatus
Smooth E.R.
Nucleus
Ribosomes

6. Step 1: Transcription
Transcription is the first step of protein synthesis. This step takes place in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. Segments of DNA called genes store the information on the proper order of amino acids to construct the cells proteins. Click on one of the chromosomes to see what genes they contain. Once you have finished with all 3 chromosomes, click here to answer the final lab questions.
Chromosome 1
Chromosome 2
Chromosome 3

8. Chromosome 1
DNA is too valuable to allow it to leave the nucleus, so the cell copies it into the form of mRNA. Messenger RNA can then take this information out of the nucleus to the ribosomes to make the proteins.
Directions: You need to transcribe the DNA message below into the form of mRNA on your paper. Also write down what Chromosome you are working on. (Click here to review Base Pairing Rules)
GCGCGCGTACAGGAAAGCCACAAGTTGTGATAGCGGGCGCATATTATCCTGCATCCGGTTTC
Once you are done with transcription
Click here to move to translation

9. Chromosome 2
DNA is too valuable to allow it to leave the nucleus, so the cell copies it into the form of mRNA. Messenger RNA can then take this information out of the nucleus to the ribosomes to make the proteins.
Directions: You need to transcribe the DNA message below into the form of mRNA on your paper. Also write down what Chromosome you are working on. (Click here to review Base Pairing Rules)
CCGGAATCTACTAGTATTTCTAGGGTCTTACGAAACTCCGTCCCGTCATTCGTGCTATCCGA
Once you are done with transcription
Click here to move to translation

10. CTGCGCAACCTACCCTAAACTCGACTTTCATAGGAAAGACTTTCACATCGCCAGCATCC
Chromosome 3
DNA is too valuable to allow it to leave the nucleus, so the cell copies it into the form of mRNA. Messenger RNA can then take this information out of the nucleus to the ribosomes to make the proteins.
Directions: You need to transcribe the DNA message below into the form of mRNA on your paper. Also write down what Chromosome you are working on. (Click here to review Base Pairing Rules)
CTGCGCAACCTACCCTAAACTCGACTTTCATAGGAAAGACTTTCACATCGCCAGCATCC
Once you are done with transcription
Click here to move to translation

12. Step 2: Translation
Translation is the second step in protein synthesis. Here, the mRNA is read by the ribosome by matching up codons to amino acids.
Directions: Use your mRNA and click on the codons to see what the amino acids are. Write down the amino acids on your paper.
Click here to begin Translation

14. Messenger RNA now leaves the nucleus
Messenger RNA now leaves the nucleus. To begin translation click on the organelle that reads the mRNA and makes the protein.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria
Rough E.R.
Golgi Apparatus
Smooth E.R.
Nucleus
Ribosomes

16. Directions: Below are mRNA codons
Directions: Below are mRNA codons. Using your transcribed gene from the first part of the lab, click on the various codons to see what the amino acids are for each. Write the amino acids down in the proper order until you come to the stop codon. The amino acids in this lab are represented by words and linked together to make sentences (proteins). (Note: some codons may be used more than once). Once you have finished putting your protein together, click here.
GUC
UGG
CUC
UAU
UAC
CGA
UGU
AAA
CAU
GAA
CGU
UGA
GCA
GCG
AUU
CGC
UCC
ACU
GCU
UCG
AAU
UAG
ACA
UCU
GUG
GAG
AGG
CGG
UUU
GCC
CUA
AGU
AGA
GUU
ACC
AAG
GAU
AUG
AUC
CCG
CCA
UCA
GGA
CCC
GUA
CUG
UUA
AGC
GAC
CCU
ACG
UUC
GGU
CAG
AUA
CAA
AAC
UUG
CAC
GGG
GGC
UGC
CUU
UAA

19. YOU

20. WHAT

21. FIND

22. DO

23. NOT

24. BECOME

25. EVEN

26. I

27. ACT

28. COME

29. FORWARD

30. BUT

31. THIS IS THE END OF YOUR PROTEIN (SENTENCE)
STOP CODON
THIS IS THE END OF YOUR PROTEIN (SENTENCE)

32. SHINE

33. STARS

34. ON

35. TO

36. THEIR

37. LET

38. WHEN

39. HAPPINESS

40. SINGULAR

41. MORE

42. COURAGE

43. HABIT

44. IN

45. PREPARE

46. YOUR

47. THEM

48. This is NOT a stop codon. This is a word in the sentence.

49. THE

50. EXCELLENCE

51. ARE

52. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PROTEIN (SENTENCE)
START CODON
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PROTEIN (SENTENCE)

53. OVER

54. WE

55. FIND

56. REMEMBER

57. CAN

58. FACE

59. OF

60. SOMETHING

61. LUCKIER

62. ABSENCE

63. DOING

64. AS

65. IS

66. FROM

67. NIGHTS

68. BRIGHTEST

69. ABILITY

70. MOVING

71. A

72. THAT

73. CANNOT

74. FEARS

75. REPEATEDLY

76. FALL

77. AN

78. LIVES

79. DARKEST

80. OUR

81. STILL

82. IT

84. NOPE
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85. NO!!!
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86. What are you thinking?!!
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87. Are you guessing now?
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88. Yes!! Click Here to Continue
Transcription occurs in the Nucleus of Eukaryotic cells. Genes found in the DNA are copied into the form of mRNA. Once it is made, mRNA leaves the nucleus to begin step 2 of protein synthesis (translation)
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90. NOPE
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91. NO!!!
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92. What are you thinking?!!
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93. Are you guessing now?
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94. Yes!! Click Here to Continue
Translation of mRNA to make a protein happens at the ribosomes. In Eukaryotic cells some ribosomes are found floating in the cytoplasm, while some ribosomes are attached to the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum.
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96. Base Pairing Rules for Transcription
Transcription makes mRNA using a DNA gene as a template. As such, transcription follows basic base pairing rules. Those rules are listed below and must be memorized for your test.
T in DNA bonds with A in RNA
G in DNA bonds with C in RNA
C in DNA bonds with G in RNA
A in DNA bonds with U in RNA
Return to Chromosome 1
Return to Chromosome 2
Return to Chromosome 3

98. Lab Questions
Directions: On your lab paper, answer the following questions using complete sentences.
What are the 2 steps of Protein Synthesis?
What do we call three mRNA bases that code for an amino acid?
Where does transcription and translation occur?
What are the base pairing rules for transcription?
Click here once you have finished

100. Congratulations!!
You have completed your Virtual Protein Synthesis Lab.
Don’t forget to turn your paper in for credit