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How does DNA work? What does it produce? These questions are at the heart of biology, and the subject of protein synthesis is central to the understanding of the cellular life processes.
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Guide to Protein Synthesis

A protein is a long chain molecule made up of amino acids joined together by peptide bonds. Peptides are compounds which form by linking one or more amino acids with a covalent bond, (one of the strongest type of chemical bond). The amino acids form the building blocks of proteins. It is from these amino acid groupings that proteins are made. There are a total of 20 different kinds of amino acids that form proteins and different amino acids determine the shape of the proteins formed. Amino acids are very common, in fact, they make up 75% of the human body. Here are some facts about proteins. Our body can produce 14 of the 20 necessary proteins. But the remaining ones we have to get from the foods we eat.

Ribosome mRNA Translation

Another kind of protein, called enzymes, generate energy in our body. So the study of proteins has to start with the subject of protein synthesis. This involves the process where individual cells construct proteins, and both deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are involved in this process. Bright Hub has a wide variety of articles dealing with proteins and protein synthesis. Learn more about the process here!

.Image: published by Wikipedia Commons in the public domain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ribosome_mRNA_translation_en.svg

Latest Articles on Protein Synthesis
Marshall Warren Nirenberg - Genetics Scientist

The U.S. biochemist and geneticist Marshall Warren Nirenberg is famous for his pioneering work on the genetic code. This work, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology...

 Protein Synthesis: How Are Proteins Built?

Proteins are the building blocks of the cell. They perform many critical functions that are needed for survival. Their manufacture starts in the nucleus when they are molecules of DNA...
The Discovery of Messenger RNA

Messenger RNA plays a key role in protein synthesis. This article looks at how the molecule was inadvertently discovered by Elliot Volkin and Lazarus Astrachan, who didn't realize...

 Understanding Genetics: Gene Regulatory Networks

This article takes a look at how gene regulatory networks function. Gene regulatory networks control mRNA transcription from DNA and the subsequent production of proteins. They oversee...
Most Popular Articles on Protein Synthesis
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    		 Diseases Associated with Ribosomes

    Ribosomes are the protein making factories of the cell. Like any biological material they are subject to mutation and damage, which in turn has the potential to cause illness. Impaired ribosomes and the...
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    		 Atomic Structure of Amino Acids

    Amino acids are the structural components of proteins. But what is the atomic structure of amino acids? This article demystifies and explains the structures and properties of all twenty amino acids...
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    		 DNA Structure: The Four Bases

    The DNA molecule contains all the information needed for an organism to develop and function. It's locked up inside the four chemical bases, adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine. The diversity of...
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    		 5 Interesting Facts About the Cell Nucleus

    The cell nucleus is a highly specialized organelle that is often called the cell's 'brain'. It's an amazing structure that controls and coordinates cellular activities including metabolism...
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    		 The Degeneracy of the Genetic Code

    It isn't that the genetic code is morally bankrupt. Degeneracy just means that some amino acids have more than one nucleotide codon specifying them during protein synthesis. Learn the details below...
More About Protein Synthesis
Diseases Associated with Ribosomes

Ribosomes are the protein making factories of the cell. Like any biological material they are subject to mutation and damage, which in turn has the potential to cause illness. Impaired...

 Atomic Structure of Amino Acids

Amino acids are the structural components of proteins. But what is the atomic structure of amino acids? This article demystifies and explains the structures and properties of all...