mRNAtranslasjon

mRNA translasjon is the biological process by which messenger RNA (mRNA) is decoded by a ribosome to produce a specific sequence of amino acids, forming a polypeptide. This polypeptide then folds into a functional protein. The mRNA molecule carries the genetic code transcribed from DNA, specifying the order of amino acids.

The process begins when the mRNA molecule binds to a ribosome, the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules, each carrying a specific amino acid and possessing an anticodon that complements a codon on the mRNA, then arrive at the ribosome. The ribosome facilitates the pairing of mRNA codons with tRNA anticodons. As each tRNA molecule delivers its amino acid, the ribosome catalyzes the formation of a peptide bond between that amino acid and the growing polypeptide chain. This cycle repeats, moving along the mRNA molecule in a 5' to 3' direction, until a stop codon is reached, signaling the termination of translation and the release of the completed polypeptide. This fundamental process is crucial for all living organisms, as it is the direct pathway from genetic information to functional proteins.