Transfiguration of genetics

Transfiguration of genetics

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Transfiguration Handbook

Main Story

Main Quest

Explanation

Side Quest

Transfiguration Handbook

The side quests are individual exercises for you to do at home. They are not compulsory, but they will help you get more points for your House and to increase your XP points.

You and your Housemates are going to your first Transfigurations class at Hogwarts, are you ready to master one of the most difficult skills of wizardry?

However, you must do the main quest. It is to be done individually and it's a questionnaire based on what you learned.

After learning about transcription and translation and understanding the process and their differences, prove your worth with the individual quests available.

If you finish the game, you will be able to correctly transfigurate DNA into RNA and RNA to proteins.

Transfiguration Handbook

As you have learned, nucleic acids have the important function of storage and expression of genetic information.

One of the cornerstones of transfiguration is the knowledge of two important concepts:

Transcription Translation

Expression of genetic information occurs in different steps in what is called the

Central dogma of molecular biology

Every wizard and witch must study and understand these concepts to show that they are capable of magic.

Learn about Transfiguration of Genetics with your Housemates and prove your worth in an INDIVIDUAL quest.Remember all your points will go to your house!

Central dogma

Central dogma of molecular biology

Imagining DNA as an instructions manual, then replication is making a photocopy of it.

Transcription is writing down the information on a different notebook for us to understand.

Replication is the process through which new DNA is formed, copied from the DNA already in the cell.

Transcription is the process through which a part of the DNA is converted in RNA.

Finally, translation is making the object we wanted to make using the instructions manual.

Translation is the process used to transform that RNA into proteins.

Transcription

Transcription

AATGGCTGCAA TTACCGACGTT

1) The piece is found and the two strands of DNA are separeted. Only one strand is used.

AATGGCTGCAA TTACCGACGTT

2) RNA nucleotides are "called" and will unite through complementarity.

AAUG

AAUGGCUGCAA

1) The RNA goes to the cytoplasm (outside the nucleus).

Let's see what happens when transcription is done.

Transcription is the process through which a part of the DNA is converted in RNA.

Remember the DNA is made of TWO chains of nucleotides together forming a helix. Its made of 4 different types of nucleotides: A (adenine), T (thymine), C (cytosine) and G (guanine). A and T always go together (one in front of the other) and C and G always go together themselves because of complementarity.

Here is an example of a short piece of DNA (in the nucleus)!

AATGGCTGCAA TTACCGACGTT

Translation

Translation

The genetic code is the set of rules used to decode the information in the RNA. This way, each codon specifies only one type of amino acid.

Translation is a process of protein synthesis, thanks to which proteins are created based on the information carried by the RNA.

Remember proteins are chains made of aminoacids.

To crack the code written in the RNA and synthesise (create) proteins, cells have a "cheat sheet" called

the genetic code

IMPORTANT: RNA is read in codons or triplets, meaning that every three letters in the RNA one aminoacid is added to the protein.

Translation

Translation

Let's see what happens when translation is done.

3) The aminoacid brought by the tRNA will link to the previous aminoacids trhough polypeptide bond.

2) Only the correct tRNA will unite through complementarity of the codon.

1) mRNA and tRNAs enters the ribosome.

Translation occurs in the cytoplasm thanks to ribosomes and tRNA (transfer RNA). The RNA being read is called mRNA (messenger RNA).

Translation takes place inside ribosomes, which organize translation and catalyze the reaction that joins amino acids to make a protein chain (peptide bond).

tRNAs are specific: on one side they unite to the codon of the mRNA, on the other they carry the aminoacid specific to that codon. They act like bridges.

Click on each paragraf to understand better every aspect of translation.

Transcription and Translation

Side Quest

The side quest for this session is INDIVIDUAL. Do it at home.

Watch the two following videos and summarise the most important information about transcription and translation. You can make a written overview, use a diagram or outline it with drawings.

Gain extra points for your house.

Transcription and Translation

Side Quest

Prove that you have successfully learned and understood the basics of Transfiguration of Genetics.

The side quest for this session is INDIVIDUAL. Do it at home.

AATTCGCCCGCTACG

GATCGTTGGC

GCCCGACCCUUGA

UGACAGACUCUGUAG

CCGCGCTATCCGGTA

TAAAACATAT

Transcribe and translate the DNAs and RNAs on the following page, explaining your thought process and which are DNA or RNA.

Gain extra points for your house.

Write your name and surname for the evaluation (and thus the XP points). See you at the end of the game!

Main Quest

Congratulations!

You have officially learned two new spells: Transcriptio and Translatio

I said each paragraf, not this paragraf ;)

Go back and try again!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit

transfer RNA (tRNA)

tRNA works as a bridge between the mRNA and the new protein being created. On one side it has an anticodon, which is complementary to the codon being read in the ribosome. On the other side it has the amino acid specific for that codon.

Ribosomes

Ribosomes are made of a small and large subunit, which work together to allow translation. mRNA enters the ribosome and is read in triplets. The ribosome has 3 "holes" for tRNA (called sites):

• A (acceptance): the tRNA enters the ribosome and links to the mRNA.
• P (polypeptide): the aminoacid on the tRNA is linked to the forming peptide.
• E (exit): the tRNA exits the ribosome.

Overview of Translation

Remember, transcription is the process from which the DNA message is copied onto an RNA and it occurs in the nucleus.

Translation, on the other hand, is the process from which the protein is created reading the RNA and it occurs in the cytoplasm.