For this project, each group chose a protein. We then had to research the steps it took to go from DNA to a protein; this process is called protein synthesis. We also made a 3D model of the finished protein and a presentation showing protein synthesis. My group and I chose the protein collagen. This protein is the most abundant in the human body and makes up animal connective tissue.
Here is our presentation:
Concepts: Protein - macromolecules with one or more polypeptide chains (Collagen was our protein) Protein synthesis - the process by which cells generate new proteins (We showned how collagen was made) Central Dogma - the flow of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA to proteins (our collagen protein went from DNA to mRNA to proteins through transcription, translation, and folding) Transcription - the first step in protein synthesis in which the DNA is transcribed into mRNA 1) RNA polymerase (enzyme) unzips DNA 2) pre-RNA enters nucleus and copies DNA coding 3) pre-RNA becomes mRNA 4) mRNA with copied DNA coding travels into cytoplasm 5) two halves of DNA zips back up Translation - the second step of protein syntheses in which the mRNA becomes a specific protein 1) mRNA is out of the nucleus and in the cytoplasm 2) Ribosome attaches to mRNA 3) mRNA read 3 nucleotides at a time, and tRNA brings corredsponding nucleotides and 1 amino acid 4) tRNA attaches to mRNA 5) tRNA brings another codon and amino acid to correspond with revealed mRNA codon (shown by ribosome) 6) Amino acids attach and form polypeptide chain 7) Continues until all of mRNA has been read 8) Ribosome and mRNA separate Folding - the last step before polypeptide chain becomes a protein 1) Primary: the chain of amino acids 2) Secondary: the chain folds into crimped sheets or helixes 3) Tertiary: sheets or helixes twist, fold, and link with other amino acid chains (depending on specific protein) 4) Quaternary: the protein is complete and finished DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid; found in the nucleus, contains all the genteic instruction to create proteins (starts protein sythesis) RNA - a nucleic acid that carries instructions from DNA for protein synthesis (RNA used in translation; made in transcription) Codon - a group of three nucleotides that form a unit on DNA or RNA (used in translation) Ribosome - a molecular machine that help in the synthesizing of proteins (used in translation) Nucleus - the brain of the cell (contains DNA which starts transcription, transcritption occurs here) Cytoplasm - the material within a cell (not including the nucleus) (translation occurs here)
I did not enjoy this project as much as I could have. I think this was because the instructions were not very clear and this project included a lot of information that we had to learn. Unfortunately I don't think we were taught all these concepts as clearly as we could have been, so that made the project that much harder to complete. I think that I did a good job taking leadership on this project. I made sure my group finished everything we needed to and asked people to do specific jobs. I also think that my group did a good job figuring out the info needed for the presentation. Even though we did not learn it as clearly as we could have, my group and I took the initiative to learn and understand what we needed to. I think in addition to the clearness of the project, my group could have made our presentation more creative. I thought we were very creative in our slideshow, but we did not get marked as high as I thought we would. I need to improve my strictness. My group wasn't the most focused group I have been in -- they got off task a lot. Instead of telling them to come back and work on the project with me, I would just give up and do it myself. This happened a lot throughout the project, and I ended up doing a lot of the project when I could have had help if I had asked.