Genetics For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 10

Translating the Genetic Code

IN THIS CHAPTER

Exploring the features of the genetic code

Understanding the process of translation

Molding polypeptides into functional proteins

From building instructions to implementation, the message that DNA carries follows a predictable path. First, DNA provides the template for transcription of the message into RNA. Then, RNA (in the form of messenger RNA) moves out of the cell nucleus and into the cytoplasm to provide the building plans for proteins. Every living thing is made of proteins, which are long chains of amino acids called polypeptides that are folded into complex shapes and hooked together in intricate ways.

All the physical characteristics of your body (that is, the phenotypes) are the result of thousands of different proteins. Of course, your body is also composed of other things, too, like water, minerals, and fats. But proteins supply the framework to organize all those other building blocks, and proteins carry out all your necessary bodily functions, like digestion, respiration, and elimination. In this chapter, we explain how RNA provides the blueprint for manufacturing proteins, the final step in the transformation ...