Baldness Madness:

Why Men Are the Most

Affected
Baldness is a common sight in men. It is a genetically
inherited characteristic.
Have you ever
wondered why “Baldness is a hereditary
characteristic. It is a trait
most bald transmitted by parents to
their children. Both men and
people are women can inherit the trait
men? and both can transmit it
further to their children.”
Introducing
The Central Dogma
of Molecular Genetics
Main Idea:

The sequences of bases in a

gene form a code that
informs the cell what
protein to produce.
 The Central Dogma of
Molecular Genetics
Recall that a gene is a portion of the
DNA. Specifically, a gene's function is
to control the production of proteins
inside the cells of organisms.
 Central Dogma of Molecular Genetics: Hereditary instructions (genotypes) are
transcribed from DNA to RNA, then translated into proteins responsible for the formation
of a phenotype of the organism.
 A gene comprises a
series of bases arranged
in a specific order. A
single gene may contain
several hundred to
millions of nitrogenous
bases. The order of the
nitrogenous bases in one
particular gene is the
genetic code instructing
what protein will be
produced.
 Genotype is the material inside
an organism's nucleus, which must
be expressed as an observable
characteristic or phenotype.

This means proteins (phenotype) are

produced using the language code in the
DNA (genotype).
Genetic information flows
from DNA to messenger
RNA (mRNA) to protein,
as described in the
"central dogma of
molecular genetics.”
In this lesson, you
will be able to
learn:

• DNA Replication
• Transcription: DNA to RNA
• Translation: RNA to Protein
DNA Replication

DNA needs to copy itself before

genetic information can be turned
into protein. Remember that old
cells split to make new ones. DNA
replication must happen for the new
cells to have their DNA.
DNA REPLICATION INVOLVES THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. Unwinding
 DNA REPLICATION
INVOLVES THE
FOLLOWING
STEPS:

1. Unwinding
An enzyme called helicase
helps the template or
original DNA unroll. The
helicase breaks the
hydrogen bonds between A
and T and G and C. This
causes the template DNA to
open in the middle.
DNA REPLICATION INVOLVES THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

2. Elongation
 DNA REPLICATION
INVOLVES THE
FOLLOWING
STEPS:
2. Elongation
Free nucleotides in the
surroundings pair with the
nucleotides in each unzipped
template DNA strand to form a
complementary DNA strand: free
A pairs with T and free G with C.
Elongation occurs with two
enzymes called DNA
polymerases.
 DNA REPLICATION
INVOLVES THE
FOLLOWING
STEPS:
2. Elongation
Two template DNA strands do
not happen at the same pace.
Base pairing moves more
quickly in one strand, known
as the leading strand, than in
the other, known as the
lagging strand.
DNA REPLICATION INVOLVES THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

3. Joining
DNA REPLICATION
INVOLVES THE
FOLLOWING STEPS:

3. Joining
With the help of an enzyme
called DNA ligase, the new
complementary DNA strand
and the template DNA
strand are joined together.
Now there is a new DNA
structure comprising the
complementary and
template DNA strands.
 Transcription: DNA TO RNA
This process has to happen because:
When DNA is copied, it
can either copy itself
again or go through a
process called (1 )
DN
A is
(2) nucle too b
transcription. I t m us
u
con st be
t p
ig t
o le
ave
t he
a
info ins a rotec
Transcription is the rma ll th te
tion e ce d bec
. ll’s a
gen use it
process by which mRNA etic

simulates the genetic

information in DNA.
 Transcription involves the following steps:

1. Binding and
Unwinding
 Transcription involves the following steps:
1. Binding and Unwinding -
When the enzyme RNA
polymerase binds to a part
of the DNA called a
promoter, transcription
starts. This connection tells
the DNA double helix to
start coming separate from
one another.
Transcription involves
the following steps:

2. Elongation -
 Transcription involves
the following steps:
2. Elongation
RNA polymerase moves
along the DNA strand
like a train. Base pairing
occurs between DNA
and RNA nucleotides
during this movement.
 Transcription involves
the following steps:
2. Elongation
Free nucleotides in the
surroundings pair with the
template DNA's nucleotides,
but free A pairs with U instead
of T. A template DNA with the
sequence AAGTACGCG has the
complementary mRNA strand
UUCAUGCGC. This produces a
chain of single-stranded mRNA.
DNA elongation continues until
a "stop" sequence is reached.
Transcription involves
the following steps:

3. Detachment
and Release
 Transcription involves
the following steps:
3. Detachment and Release
- The mRNA strand is
produced when the RNA
polymerase breaks away
from the DNA. After
transcription in a
eukaryotic cell, mRNA
moves out of the nucleus
through holes in the
nuclear membrane and
 Translation:
RNA to Protein
The translation is what happens to the
new mRNA that was made by
transcription. The words in mRNA are
turned into proteins through a process
called translation.
Translation: RNA to Protein involves the
following steps:
1. Attachment ng steps:
Translation: RNA to Protein involves the
following steps:
1. Attachment - A small
part of the ribosome
sticks to the mRNA,
which has the codon.
Then, a big group of
ribosomes wraps it up in
a shell.
Translation: RNA to Protein involves the
following steps:
2. Matching - The
ribosome matches the
mRNA codon to the
tRNA anticodon when it
recognizes the "start"
codon in the mRNA.
 Translation: RNA to Protein involves the
following steps:
3. Elongation
When tRNA anticodons link to mRNA
codons in the ribosome, the amino
acids the tRNAs carry a line up in the
order the mRNA tells. After taking an
amino acid, a tRNA leaves the
ribosome to make room for another
tRNA.
 Translation: RNA to Protein involves the
following steps:
4. Termination and Release
A "stop" codon is eventually reached and
recognized on the mRNA, which stops
elongation. When the ribosome reads this
codon, the translation is stopped, and the
ribosome releases the amino acid chain.
Proteins are made up of this sequence of
amino acids.
How can you determine the type of amino
acid that an mRNA dictates?

Recall that an mRNA codon is

matched with a tRNA anticodon
and that the same tRNA holds
the amino acid that codes for the
codon in the mRNA.