The majority of genes have the necessary instructions to produce the functional molecules known as proteins. Here, let’s learn the processes by which genes are converted to proteins.
Genes are DNA sequences that control the synthesis of proteins and serve as bridges between phenotype and genotype. The amino acid sequences that make up proteins are specified by the protein-coding genes. Proteins, in turn, are in charge of directing almost all cellular processes. All cells maintain their genetic information through the three primary processes:
The base of biological inheritance is replication. The DNA of a cell is copied in this process. A single parental double-stranded DNA molecule is copied by the enzyme DNA polymerase into two daughter double-stranded DNA molecules. In subsequent steps, these DNA fragments are utilised to create RNA.
A single DNA strand serves as a template for the creation of a complementary strand of RNA during transcription.
In the process of translation, mRNA or messenger RNA is decoded outside the nucleus in a ribosome to create a particular polypeptide or amino acid chain. The polypeptide chain undergoes further folding into secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures and carries out its specific tasks within the cell. This process happens in the following sequential steps:
Thus the genetic information is transferred from DNA(gene) to RNA and to Protein, which is a functional product. This is known as the central dogma.
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DNA content in the cell is duplicated as a result of DNA replication, which is necessary to preserve genetic continuity in the newly formed cell during cell division. Every cell receives the identical DNA copy as its parent cell. This is necessary for growth and maintenance.
Protein synthesis is a fundamental biological activity that takes place inside cells to counteract the loss of cellular proteins (via export or degradation) by producing new proteins. Transcription and translation are the two processes that make up the protein synthesis process.
Gene expression is the process through which a gene’s information is used to create a functioning gene product, allowing it to produce end products, like proteins or non-coding RNA, and, ultimately, have an impact on phenotypes. Most often, the functional end products are proteins.
