Question

Write the segment of \(m R N A\) produced from the following section of a DNA template strand: \(-\mathrm{T}-\mathrm{A}-\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{G}-\mathrm{G}-\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{A}-\mathrm{A}-\mathrm{G}-\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{T}-\mathrm{A}-\)

Short answer

AUGCCGUUCGAU

Step-by-step solution

Understand DNA to mRNA transcription

DNA transcription is the process where a segment of DNA is used to produce a complementary RNA strand. In transcription, Adenine (A) pairs with Uracil (U) in RNA, Thymine (T) pairs with Adenine (A), Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G), and Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C).

Identify the DNA template strand sequence

The given DNA template strand sequence is: -T-A-C-G-G-C-A-A-G-C-T-A-

Transcribe each nucleotide

Using the transcription rules: - T (Thymine) transcribes to A (Adenine) - A (Adenine) transcribes to U (Uracil) - C (Cytosine) transcribes to G (Guanine) - G (Guanine) transcribes to C (Cytosine)Transcribe each DNA nucleotide to its respective RNA nucleotide.

Write the mRNA sequence

The mRNA sequence transcribed from the DNA template strand -T-A-C-G-G-C-A-A-G-C-T-A- would be: A-U-G-C-C-G-U-U-C-G-A-U

Key concepts

DNA template strand

To understand RNA transcription, we first need to get familiar with the DNA template strand. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule made up of two strands that coil around each other to form a double helix. Each strand is composed of nucleotides. The DNA template strand serves as a pattern because its sequence is used to create a complementary RNA strand. Think of it as a mold that guides the formation of the RNA.
The sequence of the DNA template strand is crucial because it determines the sequence of the mRNA strand that will be produced. A template strand has a specific order of nucleotides that will be copied during transcription.

RNA transcription

RNA transcription is a biological process that involves copying a segment of DNA into RNA. This procedure is carried out by an enzyme known as RNA polymerase. During transcription, RNA polymerase binds to a specific part of the DNA template strand and starts to synthesize a complementary RNA strand. This process starts at a specific place in the DNA, called the promoter region.
Transcription follows the base pairing rules, but with one key difference from DNA replication: where DNA normally has Thymine (T), RNA has Uracil (U). The result is a single-stranded RNA molecule that mirrors the DNA template strand but with Uracil replacing Thymine.

Complementary RNA strand

The complementary RNA strand, often called mRNA (messenger RNA), is created during transcription and is complementary to the DNA template strand. This means that each nucleotide in the RNA strand matches up with a corresponding nucleotide in the DNA strand with base pairing rules:

• Adenine (A) pairs with Uracil (U)
• Thymine (T) pairs with Adenine (A)
• Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G)
• Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C)

For example, if the sequence of the DNA template strand is -T-A-C-G-G-C-A-A-G-C-T-A-, the mRNA sequence would be -A-U-G-C-C-G-U-U-C-G-A-U- because each nucleotide of the DNA is transcribed into its complementary RNA pair.

Nucleotide pairs

Nucleotides are the building blocks of both DNA and RNA. In DNA, there are four types of nucleotides: Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), and Guanine (G). In RNA, Thymine (T) is replaced by Uracil (U). The pairing between these nucleotides ensures the accurate copying of genetic information.
During transcription, the nucleotide pairs play a crucial role as follows:

• Thymine (T) in DNA pairs with Adenine (A) in RNA
• Adenine (A) in DNA pairs with Uracil (U) in RNA
• Cytosine (C) in DNA pairs with Guanine (G) in RNA
• Guanine (G) in DNA pairs with Cytosine (C) in RNA

This specificity in pairing is fundamental to ensuring that each mRNA strand accurately reflects the information found in the DNA template strand, which will then be translated into proteins.