Protein biosynthesis
Protein Biosynthesis (proh-TEEN by-oh-SIN-thuh-sis) is the process by which biological cells generate new proteins. It is balanced by the loss of cellular proteins via degradation or export.
Etymology
The term "Protein Biosynthesis" is derived from the Greek words "protos" meaning "first" and "bios" meaning "life". "Synthesis" comes from the Greek word "synthesis" meaning "putting together".
Process
Protein biosynthesis is a multi-step process that involves transcription, translation, and post-translational modifications. In the process of transcription, the information stored in a gene's DNA is transferred to a similar molecule called RNA in the cell nucleus. This RNA molecule then moves from the nucleus to the cell's cytoplasm, where the actual process of protein synthesis takes place.
Transcription
Transcription is the first step in protein biosynthesis. It is the process by which the information in a strand of DNA is copied into a new molecule of messenger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA then carries this information to the cell's cytoplasm.
Translation
Translation is the second step in protein biosynthesis. During this process, the mRNA molecule is 'read' by a ribosome, and the sequence of nucleotides in the mRNA is translated into the sequence of amino acids in a protein.
Post-Translational Modifications
After the protein has been synthesized, it may undergo further modifications. These modifications may occur in the cytoplasm or in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus, which are part of the cell's protein-sorting machinery.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Protein biosynthesis
- Wikipedia's article - Protein biosynthesis
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski