I’ve always been amazed by how the genetic instructions stored in our DNA are translated into the functional components of our bodies. The process by which the information in our genes is used to create proteins is described by what is known as the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology. First proposed by Francis Crick, this theory outlines a one-way flow of genetic information: from DNA to RNA to protein.
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Understanding this flow is key to understanding how our genes actually work. I think of it as a two-step process for a factory: first, you make a photocopy of the original blueprint, and then you take that copy to the assembly line to build the product.
📜 Step 1: Transcription (DNA to RNA)
The first step in using a gene’s instructions is transcription. The DNA molecule, which contains the original genetic blueprint, is safely stored inside the cell’s nucleus. To use a specific gene, the cell makes a temporary, portable copy of it. This copy is not made of DNA, but of a closely related molecule called RNA (ribonucleic acid).
During transcription, the DNA double helix unwinds at the location of the gene, and an enzyme creates a single-stranded RNA molecule that is complementary to the DNA template. This RNA copy, known as messenger RNA (mRNA), then detaches from the DNA and leaves the nucleus to carry the instructions out into the cytoplasm.
🏭 Step 2: Translation (RNA to Protein)
Once the mRNA molecule reaches the cytoplasm, the second step, called translation, begins. This is where the genetic code is ‘read’ and used to build a protein. This process takes place at cellular structures called ribosomes, which I consider the ‘protein factories’ of the cell.
The ribosome moves along the mRNA molecule, reading its sequence of bases in groups of three, known as codons. Each codon specifies a particular amino acid. As the ribosome reads the mRNA, it recruits the correct amino acids and links them together in a chain. When the ribosome reaches the end of the mRNA message, the completed amino acid chain is released. It then folds into a specific three-dimensional shape to become a functional protein.
✅ Why It Matters
This two-step process is fundamental to all of life. It is how the genetic information encoded in DNA is used to produce the vast array of proteins that perform nearly every task in our cells—from providing structure and carrying oxygen to catalyzing the chemical reactions we need to survive. The flow from DNA to RNA to protein is the very essence of how genes build and maintain an organism.
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