Transcribe and Translate a Gene

CGA GUA ACG UUG Phenylalanine Aspartic Acid Asparagine Valine Remember that A in DNA pairs with U in RNA. ATATCAGGAACTCTCCTCCT-CAGCAGTCAGGTCTATG-GAAACTACAGGATACCTTCCT-CAACCGGGGGGTGGGAATCCGTCACATATGAGAAGGTATTTGCTCGATAATCAATACTCCAGGCATCTAACTTTTCCCACTGCCTTAAGCCGGCTTGCCCTTTCTGCCTGTAGATCCATAGGACTCGTGCCAACGCGCAGGCATAGTTCGAGGAGAAATATCCGGGGCCAAAGACAACCAGCATCTCGGGTCTTGCCCAACCCGCCTACATGCTGTTATAGCGAATCAGTGGAAACCCGGTGCCAGGCGATGGAATGTCCTTAACTCTGGCAGGAAATTAAAGGGAACGTATATACAACGCAAAGAAGCTGGAAAATTGGCGAGAGAATCTTCTTTCTGTCTATCGAAGAATGGGCATGGGGTGGCAACCGTCATGCTAGCGTGCGGGGTGCACTTGGTAACCATTTGGGACACCGGACACTCGCTGTTTTCGAAATTACCCTTTAAGCGCGGGTATTGAACCAGGCTTATGCCCAGCATCGTTGCAAGCAGACTCAAACTAGATATATTATGCCCGCCATACAGACGAAACTAGTCGGAGATTATCGAGCATACTATCACGTCGGCGACCACTAGTGAGTTACTAGAGCCGAGGGGCAACGTTGATGCCCCTAAGAACCTCTGGCTCG ATATCAGGAACTCTCCTCCT-CAGCAGTCAGGTCTATG-GAAACTACAGGATACCTTCCT-CAACCGGGGGGTGGGAATCCGTCACATATGAGAAGGTATTTGCTCGATAATCAATACTCCAGGCATCTAACTTTTCCCACTGCCTTAAGCCGGCTTGCCCTTTCTGCCTGTAGATCCATAGGACTCGTGCCAACGCGCAGGCATAGTTCGAGGAGAAATATCCGGGGCCAAAGACAACCAGCATCTCGGGTCTTGCCCAACCCGCCTACATGCTGTTATAGCGAATCAGTGGAAACCCGGTGCCAGGCGATGGAATGTCCTTAACTCTGGCAGGAAATTAAAGGGAACGTATATACAACGCAAAGAAGCTGGAAAATTGGCGAGAGAATCTTCTTTCTGTCTATCGAAGAATGGGCATGGGGTGGCAACCGTCATGCTAGCGTGCGGGGTGCACTTGGTAACCATTTGGGACACCGGACACTCGCTGTTTTCGAAATTACCCTTTAAGCGCGGGTATTGAACCAGGCTTATGCCCAGCATCGTTGCAAGCAGACTCAAACTAGATATATTATGCCCGCCATACAGACGAAACTAGTCGGAGATTATCGAGCATACTATCACGTCGGCGACCACTAGTGAGTTACTAGAGCCGAGGGGCAACGTTGATGCCCCTAAGAACCTCTGGCTCG ATATCAGGAACTCTCCTCCT-CAGCAGTCAGGTCTATG-GAAACTACAGGATACCTTCCT-CAACCGGGGGGTGGGAATCCGTCACATATGAGAAGGTATTTGCTCGATAATCAATACTCCAGGCATCTAACTTTTCCCACTGCCTTAAGCCGGCTTGCCCTTTCTGCCTGTAGATCCATAGGACTCGTGCCAACGCGCAGGCATAGTTCGAGGAGAAATATCCGGGGCCAAAGACAACCAGCATCTCGGGTCTTGCCCAACCCGCCTACATGCTGTTATAGCGAATCAGTGGAAACCCGGTGCCAGGCGATGGAATGTCCTTAACTCTGGCAGGAAATTAAAGGGAACGTATATACAACGCAAAGAAGCTGGAAAATTGGCGAGAGAATCTTCTTTCTGTCTATCGAAGAATGGGCATGGGGTGGCAACCGTCATGCTAGCGTGCGGGGTGCACTTGGTAACCATTTGGGACACCGGACACTCGCTGTTTTCGAAATTACCCTTTAAGCGCGGGTATTGAACCAGGCTTATGCCCAGCATCGTTGCAAGCAGACTCAAACTAGATATATTATGCCCGCCATACAGACGAAACTAGTCGGAGATTATCGAGCATACTATCACGTCGGCGACCACTAGTGAGTTACTAGAGCCGAGGGGCAACGTTGATGCCCCTAAGAACCTCTGGCTCG
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Transcription and Translation

The DNA that makes up the human genome can be subdivided into information bytes called genes. Each gene encodes a unique protein that performs a specialized function in the cell. The human genome contains about 21,000 genes.

Cells use the two-step process of transcription and translation to read each gene and produce the string of amino acids that makes up a protein. The basic rules for translating a gene into a protein are laid out in the Universal Genetic Code.

For an overview of transcription and translation, look over the diagram on the right. Then try it out yourself in the activity above!

Transcription and translation
  • Funding

    Funding provided by grant 51006109 from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Precollege Science Education Initiative for Biomedical Research.


APA format:

Genetic Science Learning Center. (2016, March 1) Transcribe and Translate a Gene. Retrieved March 24, 2024, from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/transcribe/

CSE format:

Transcribe and Translate a Gene [Internet]. Salt Lake City (UT): Genetic Science Learning Center; 2016 [cited 2024 Mar 24] Available from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/transcribe/

Chicago format:

Genetic Science Learning Center. "Transcribe and Translate a Gene." Learn.Genetics. March 1, 2016. Accessed March 24, 2024. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/transcribe/.