Table of contents
- 1. Introduction to Genetics51m
- 2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance3h 37m
- 3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance2h 41m
- 4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage2h 28m
- 5. Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses1h 21m
- 6. Chromosomal Variation1h 48m
- 7. DNA and Chromosome Structure56m
- 8. DNA Replication1h 10m
- 9. Mitosis and Meiosis1h 34m
- 10. Transcription1h 0m
- 11. Translation58m
- 12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes1h 19m
- 13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes44m
- 14. Genetic Control of Development44m
- 15. Genomes and Genomics1h 50m
- 16. Transposable Elements47m
- 17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination1h 6m
- 18. Molecular Genetic Tools19m
- 19. Cancer Genetics29m
- 20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
- 21. Population Genetics50m
- 22. Evolutionary Genetics29m
11. Translation
The Genetic Code
1:22 minutes
Problem 26a
Textbook Question
Textbook QuestionThe human β-globin polypeptide contains 146 amino acids. How many mRNA nucleotides are required to encode this polypeptide?
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Genetic Code
The genetic code is a set of rules that defines how the sequence of nucleotides in mRNA is translated into the sequence of amino acids in a protein. Each amino acid is encoded by a sequence of three nucleotides, known as a codon. Understanding this code is essential for determining how many nucleotides are needed to encode a specific polypeptide.
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mRNA and Codons
mRNA, or messenger RNA, is a type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome, where proteins are synthesized. Each codon in mRNA corresponds to a specific amino acid in the polypeptide chain. Since each amino acid is represented by a triplet of nucleotides, the total number of nucleotides required can be calculated by multiplying the number of amino acids by three.
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mRNA Processing
Polypeptide Length and Nucleotide Calculation
The length of a polypeptide is determined by the number of amino acids it contains. To find the number of mRNA nucleotides required to encode a polypeptide, one must multiply the number of amino acids by three, as each amino acid is encoded by a triplet of nucleotides. Additionally, one must consider that the mRNA sequence does not include a stop codon in this calculation, as it is not part of the amino acid sequence.
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