proteiinisynteensä

Proteiinisynteesi is the biological process by which cells build proteins. This essential process involves two main stages: transcription and translation. Transcription occurs in the nucleus, where the genetic information encoded in DNA is copied into a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule. This mRNA then travels out of the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

In the cytoplasm, the second stage, translation, takes place. Here, ribosomes, the cell's protein-building machinery, bind to the mRNA. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules, each carrying a specific amino acid, read the mRNA sequence in three-nucleotide units called codons. Each codon specifies a particular amino acid. As the ribosome moves along the mRNA, it matches the codons with the corresponding anticodons on the tRNA molecules, linking the amino acids together in a chain according to the genetic instructions. This growing chain of amino acids folds into a specific three-dimensional structure, forming a functional protein. Proteiinisynteesi is fundamental for all life, as proteins perform a vast array of functions within cells and organisms, including acting as enzymes, structural components, and signaling molecules.