Protein Synthesis Lab

To start making a protein, the DNA is transcribed to RNA in the nucleus. Then it is converted into messenger RNA (mRNA) which is sent out of the nucleus to a ribosome. RNA Polymerase pairs the corresponding nucleotides with a RNA strand. In the ribosome, the RNA reads three bases at a time to form codons which code for amino acids. These amino acids are joined together to form a protein. 

In this lab we tested different kinds of mutations that could potentially occur while DNA is being transcribed and their affect on the protein structure. The mutation that caused the least damage to the protein was substitution. This mutation had the least effect on the protein because though the amino acids changed, it was still a complete protein.  The frameshift mutations caused much more damage to the protein because most amino acids were changed and there were extra incomplete codons in the end.


In the lab, after trying different mutation, we were asked to chose the one that would be the most harmful to the protein. I chose deletion, because not only does it change entire amino acids, the end codon is left incomplete. I decided to take out the first C in the DNA sequence, and was left with a completely altered RNA, as expected. 

A mutation that I didn't know stemmed from the genes is sickle cell anemia. It is the result of a point mutation, where one nucleotide is changed for hemoglobin. This causes the hemoglobin in red blood cells to change into a distorted shape and clog the capillaries, cutting off circulation.