Overview

So far in this book, we have learned how RNA is made, processed, and regulated. This chapter focuses on how translation works; that is, how information coded in the mRNA molecule is read to create an amino acid sequence (i.e., polypeptide), which then folds into a protein. Please see an earlier chapter for a general overview of translation and which codons (i.e., base sequences) code for which amino acids.

The Process of Translation: A First Look

Let’s first look at a basic overview of what the process of translation looks like. The video below begins with the mRNA leaving the nucleus and binding with a ribosome. TransferRNAs (tRNAs) move in and out of the ribosome, carrying an amino acid into the ribosome and then leaving without it. An amino acid sequence (i.e., a polypeptide) is produced.

Molecules

The following video lists the different molecules at play in translation. While watching it, consider how each of these molecules played a role in the first video of this chapter. Watch this before moving on to the mechanism.

Mechanism

The first video in this chapter quickly showed what translation looks like. The following video slows down the process and explains in more detail what is happening in the ribosome.

The Process of Translation: A Detailed Look

This chapter began with an overview of translation and then described in more detail what is happing in the ribosome and how the amino acid chain builds. Now watch the following video, which is an in-depth version of the first video of this chapter, now incorporating aspects described throughout this chapter.