mRNA

= mRNA =

**Publisher**- Jesse Hunsicker **Editor**- Emily Seitz **Researchers**- Duy Quan, Borys Chabursky

** Components ** : **Ribose**- Five-Carbon Sugar **Phosphate Groups**- Along with the ribose, it creates the sugar=phosphate backbone **Nitrogenous Bases**- Adinine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Uracil. A is complementary to U and C with G. **Cap and Tail**- The mRNA includes a cap( single G nucleotide) and a tail (polypeptide of A nucleotides) that protect the molecule from enzyme attacks. **Introns**- Non coding region of mRNA that eventually gets rejected from the molecule. **Exons**- The coding region of mRNA that stay in the molecule and are bonded together after the process of RNA splicing.
 * Pre mRNA ** - The first transcript from a protein coding gene, containing introns and exons, requires the removal of introns producing the final mRNA only containing exons.



** Job Description: ** Messenger RNA is an RNA molecule that contains the blueprint for the process of protein synthesis. It contains a copy of the genetic information from DNA. The function of mRNA is to transfer the data from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where the ribosomes use that data to assemble proteins.

** Physical Description: ** mRNA is a smaller molecule than DNA so that it can exist outside of the nucleus. The mRNA also contains a similar backbone and phosphate groups as DNA, but different sugar molecules. RNA contains ribose instead of deoxyribose like DNA. mRNA also has the bases Adenine, Cytosine, and Guanine, though mRNA has the base Uracil instead of Thymine.

** Picture: **

** Video: ** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjWuVrzvZYA

mRNA is formed in the nucleus within the cell. In the Nucleus, DNA helices are partially unzipped to reveal the genetic information required to create proteins. While the nitrogenous bases are revealed, complementary base pairs bond to the DNA strand and to each other, creating an RNA strand. The difference between the DNA segment and the new RNA is that it bonds Uracil to Adenine nucleotides. Once it has finished copying the DNA, the mRNA transports itself to a ribosome outside of the nucleus.
 * Where mRNA is formed: **

** Where mRNA is found: ** At first, the DNA is found inside the nucleus where it assembles from the DNA. It is then sent out into the cytoplasm to give the information to the ribosomes.

** How mRNA works: ** When the process of copying the mRNA is completed, the mRNA then snakes out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm when it is ready for protein synthesis. In the ribosomes tRNA translate the genetic information from mRNA to amino acids. There are many transfer molecules which bring the amino acids to the ribosomes, which gets information to make the needed proteins. Then the code for each amino acids are read off of 3 bases (codons) at a time and is translated by the tRNA. This tRNA translates to the ribosome what amino acids are needed to make the protein polypeptide chain.

** Works Cited: ** Lodish, et al., Molecular Cell Biology, Fifth Edition, W. H. Freeman & Co.© 2004 W. H. Freeman & Co., and Sumanas, Inc.

"Messenger RNA - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011..

"Transcription: Pre-mRNA Processing (Splicing)." Prentice Hall Bridge page. Pearson Education, Inc., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. .