Science Class- Jan. 13-17

This week, we countinued to learn about protien synthesis, and we started to learn about cell reproduction. We also did a lab to learn about the cell reproduction.

On Monday and Tuesday, we acted out protein synthesis so that we could better understand the process. It starts with transcription in the necleus. Part of the DNA opens up, and that part is copied. That copy is the messanger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA then leaves the nucleus through the membrane, and goes to find a ribosome.
The next part is translation. The mRNA finds a ribosome either in the rough ER or cytoplasm. The ribosome reads one codon (group of 3 necleic bases) at a time. Then, the transfer RNA (tRNA) with the matching anti-codon comes. It attaches to an amino acid at the binding site, and they go to the ribosome. More tRNA come as more codon are read. The tRNA leave, and all of the amino acids make a chain. When the chain is complete, it crumples up and is a protein.

On Wednesday, we took notes on cell reproduction. Then, on Thursday and Friday, we did a lab. We looked at the tip of an onion root under the microscope. The tip was growing, so it needed more cells, and the cells were reproducing. You could see the chromosomes in the cells during the cell reproduction. The chromosomes in the cells looked different, because they were at different stages. Some looked like they had dots in them, while others looked like worms. By understanding the functions of cells, we can better understand how cells work.