Protein Synthesis

Proteins are widely used in cells to serve diverse functions. Some proteins provide the structural support for cells while others act as enzymes to catalyze certain reactions. We have already seen the roles that different enzymes play in building the cell's structure and in catalyzing metabolic reactions, but where do proteins come from?

Since the beginning of evolution, cells have developed the ability to synthesize proteins. They can produce new proteins either for reproduction or to simply replace a degraded one. To manufacture proteins, cells follow a very systematic procedure that first transcribes DNA into mRNA and then translates the mRNA into chains of amino acids. The amino acid chain then folds into specific proteins.

Please click below to find out more about each of the steps involved in protein synthesis.

            Step 1: DNA Transcription

            Step 2: RNA Translation