Vocabulary: amino acid, anticodon, codon, gene, messenger RNA, nucleotide, ribosome, RNA, RNA polymerase, transcription, transfer RNA, translation
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Suppose you want to design and build a house. How would you communicate your design plans with the construction crew that would work on the house?
I would communicate my design plans with the construction crew by using the messenger RNA. _________________________________________________________________________
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Cells build large, complicated molecules, such as proteins. What do you think cells use as their “design plans” for proteins?
Cells use DNA for their design plan for proteins.
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Gizmo Warm-up
Just as a construction crew uses blueprints to build a house, a cell uses DNA as plans for building proteins. In addition to DNA, another nucleic acid, called RNA, is involved in making proteins. In the RNA and Protein Synthesis Gizmo™, you will use both DNA and RNA to construct a protein out of amino acids.
DNA is composed of the bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). RNA is composed of adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil (U).
Look at the SIMULATION pane. Is the shown molecule DNA or RNA? How do you know?
Its representing DNA because Uracil isn’t being used. ________________________________________________
RNA polymerase is a type of enzyme. Enzymes help chemical reactions occur quickly. Click the Release enzyme button, and describe what happens.
The nucleotides separate. _________________________________________________________________________
Activity A:
Transcription Get the Gizmo ready:
If necessary, click Release enzyme.
Introduction: The first stage of building a protein involves a process known as transcription. In...