BIOLOGY

CONCEPTS & CONNECTIONS

Fourth Edition
Neil A. Campbell Jane B. Reece Lawrence G. Mitchell Martha R. Taylor

CHAPTER 10
Molecular Biology of the Gene
Modules 10.6 10.16
From PowerPoint Lectures for Biology: Concepts & Connections
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

THE FLOW OF GENETIC INFORMATION

FROM DNA TO RNA TO PROTEIN
10.6 The DNA genotype is expressed as proteins,
which provide the molecular basis for
phenotypic traits
The information constituting an organisms
genotype is carried in its sequence of bases

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 A specific gene specifies a polypeptide

The DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is
translated into the polypeptide
DNA

TRANSCRIPTION

DNA

TRANSLATION

Protein
Figure 10.6A
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Studies of inherited metabolic disorders first

suggested that phenotype is expressed
through proteins
Studies of the bread mold Neurospora crassa
led to the one gene-one polypeptide
hypothesis

Figure 10.6B
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

10.7 Genetic information written in codons is

translated into amino acid sequences
The words of the DNA language are triplets
of bases called codons
The codons in a gene specify the amino acid
sequence of a polypeptide

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Gene 1

Gene 3

DNA molecule

Gene 2

DNA strand

TRANSCRIPTION

RNA
Codon
TRANSLATION

Polypeptide
Figure 10.7

Amino acid

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

10.8 The genetic code is the Rosetta stone of life

Virtually all
organisms
share the same
genetic code

Figure 10.8A
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 An exercise in translating the genetic code

Transcribed strand

DNA

Transcription

RNA

Start
codon

Polypeptide
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Translation

Stop
codon

Figure 10.8B

10.9 Transcription produces genetic messages in

the form of RNA

RNA
polymerase

RNA nucleotide

Direction of
transcription
Template
strand of DNA
Figure 10.9A

Newly made RNA

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

RNA polymerase

In transcription, the
DNA helix unzips
RNA nucleotides line
up along one strand
of the DNA following
the base-pairing rules
The single-stranded
messenger RNA peels
away and the DNA
strands rejoin

DNA of gene
Promoter
DNA
Initiation

Elongation

Terminator
DNA

Area shown
in Figure 10.9A

Termination
Growing
RNA

Completed RNA

Figure 10.9B
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

RNA
polymerase

10.10 Eukaryotic RNA is processed before leaving

the nucleus
Noncoding
segments called
introns are
spliced out

Exon Intron

Exon

Intron

Exon

DNA
Cap
RNA
transcript
with cap
and tail

A cap and a tail

are added to the
ends

Transcription
Addition of cap and tail

Introns removed

Tail

Exons spliced together

mRNA
Coding sequence
NUCLEUS

CYTOPLASM

Figure 10.10
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

10.11 Transfer RNA molecules serve as interpreters

during translation
In the cytoplasm, a
ribosome attaches
to the mRNA and
translates its
message into a
polypeptide
The process is aided
by transfer RNAs

Amino acid attachment site

Hydrogen bond

RNA polynucleotide chain

Anticodon
Figure 10.11A
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Each tRNA molecule has a triplet anticodon on

one end and an amino acid attachment site on
the other
Amino acid
attachment
site

Anticodon
Figure 10.11B, C
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

10.12 Ribosomes build polypeptides

Next amino acid

to be added to
polypeptide

Growing
polypeptide
tRNA
molecules

P site

A site
Growing
polypeptide

Large
subunit

tRNA

P
mRNA
binding
site

mRNA

Codons

mRNA

Small
subunit

Figure 10.12A-C
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

10.13 An initiation codon marks the start of an

mRNA message

Start of genetic message

End

Figure 10.13A

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 mRNA, a specific tRNA, and the ribosome

subunits assemble during initiation

Large
ribosomal
subunit

Initiator tRNA
P site

A site

Start
codon
mRNA

Small ribosomal
subunit

1
Figure 10.13B
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

10.14 Elongation adds amino acids to the

polypeptide chain until a stop codon
terminates translation
The mRNA moves a codon at a time relative to
the ribosome
A tRNA pairs with each codon, adding an amino
acid to the growing polypeptide

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Amino acid
Polypeptide
A
site

P site

Anticodon

mRNA
1 Codon recognition

mRNA
movement

Stop
codon
New
peptide
bond

3 Translocation
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2 Peptide bond
formation

Figure 10.14

10.15 Review: The flow of genetic information in

the cell is DNARNAprotein
The sequence of codons in DNA spells out the
primary structure of a polypeptide
Polypeptides form proteins that cells and
organisms use

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Summary of
transcription
and
translation

TRANSCRIPTION

DNA

mRNA
RNA
polymerase

Stage 1 mRNA is
transcribed from a
DNA template.

Amino acid
TRANSLATION
Enzyme

Stage 2 Each amino

acid attaches to its
proper tRNA with the
help of a specific
enzyme and ATP.

tRNA

Initiator
tRNA

mRNA

Figure 10.15
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Anticodon
Large
ribosomal
subunit
Start
Codon

Small
ribosomal
subunit

Stage 3 Initiation of
polypeptide synthesis
The mRNA, the first
tRNA, and the
ribosomal subunits
come together.

New
peptide
bond
forming

Growing
polypeptide

Codons

Stage 4 Elongation
A succession of tRNAs
add their amino acids to
the polypeptide chain as
the mRNA is moved
through the ribosome,
one codon at a time.

mRNA
Polypeptide

Stop Codon

Figure 10.15 (continued)

Copyright 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Stage 5 Termination
The ribosome recognizes
a stop codon. The polypeptide is terminated and
released.

10.16 Mutations can change the meaning of genes

Mutations are changes in the DNA base
sequence
These are caused by errors in DNA replication
or by mutagens
The change of a single DNA nucleotide causes
sickle-cell disease

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Normal hemoglobin DNA

mRNA

Mutant hemoglobin DNA

mRNA

Normal hemoglobin
Glu

Figure 10.16A

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Sickle-cell hemoglobin
Val

 Types of mutations
NORMAL GENE

mRNA
Protein

Met

Lys

Phe

Gly

Ala

Lys

Phe

Ser

Ala

BASE SUBSTITUTION

Met

Missing

BASE DELETION

Met

Lys

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Leu

Ala

His

Figure 10.16B