Protein Synthesis Lab

1) Proteins Synthesis is the process used to create proteins that involves DNA, RNA, and ribosomes. This process begins with transcription, in the nucleus, during which the DNA unzips, allowing the RNA polymerase to read and copy the DNA code for a mRNA. The mRNA then travels to the cytoplasm where translation occurs. Ribosomes read the mRNA 3 bases at a time in sequences known as codons. They then translate the codons into amino acids, eventually forming long chains of amino acids. These chains fold up and integrate with other amino acid chains until a protein is created.

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2) Generally, the mutation of substitution makes little to no change in the amino acid sequence. Frameshift mutation, however, seemed to have the greatest effect to the proteins. This type of mutation includes insertion and deletion, when a nucleotide is added or taken away. Where in the mRNA sequence the mutation occurs also has a great effect to the protein. The closer to the beginning of the sequence the mutation occurs, the more effect it will have on the protein. If the mutation occurs near the end, then only the final few amino acids will be affected, however, if the mutation occurs near the beginning, then the majority, if not all, of the amino acid sequence will be affected.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_mutation>

3) I chose the mutation of deletion, in which I got rid of the very first nucleotide. This mutation was similar to a deletion mutation in step 4, in which I deleted a "T" near the begining of the sequence. I chose this mutation to prove my prediction correct that the closer to the beginning of the sequence the mutation occurs, the more the protein will be affected. This is because the earlier there is a mutation, the earlier the rest of the sequence will be out of order. A protein was never formed as a result of my mutation because there was no start codon.

4) Believe it or not, one common mutation in humans is blue eyes. Originally, all humans had brown eyes, however, around 10,000,000 years ago, a mutation occurred that limited the amount of melanin that could be produced in the stroma of the iris, leaving the stroma blue. Mutations can affect your life because it can prevent your body from developing traits required to properly function. 

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