Question

key point 3: translation is a complex system with many interacting parts. its important to recognize, though, that although these readings have introduced a large number of molecules, machines, and events, the overview presented here was a highly simplified version of what researchers actually know about how proteins get made. for example, the readings have left out details about the many proteins that interact with mrna and the ribosome and that are essential for initiation, elongation, and termination.
even studying simplified versions of complex systems like translation can be overwhelming at first. so as you work out how all of the parts interact with each other, you may find it enormously helpful to draw the process and make diagrams of how the different molecules and machines relate to each other, especially while working in a group. it can be particularly important to make drawings that help you compare transcription with translation, to help keep the two processes separate.
the effort you make to understand how translation works will pay off. not only will you have more experience with analyzing complex systems, but will you understand the most essential elements of one of the most important of all life processes: protein production. in addition, if you are preparing for a career in health care, pharmaceutical research, or the use of bacteria in environmental remediation or biotechnology, or if you simply like to understand what drugs are actually doing to cells inside your body, understanding translation is fundamental.
which statements accurately describe transcription and/or translation? select the two best answers.
□ transcription starts and stops with the start and stop codon.
□ both transcription and translation are required for protein - coding genes to be expressed into a functional protein.
□ both transcription and translation have distinct initiation, elongation, and termination phases.
□ rna polymerase is directly involved in translation.
□ ribosomes are essential in both transcription and translation.

Explanation:

• For the statement "Both transcription and translation are required for protein - coding genes to be expressed into a functional protein":
• Protein - coding genes first undergo transcription to produce mRNA. Then, the mRNA is translated to form a polypeptide chain, which folds into a functional protein. So this statement is correct.
• For the statement "Both transcription and translation have distinct initiation, elongation, and termination phases":
• In transcription, initiation involves RNA polymerase binding to the promoter, elongation is the synthesis of RNA, and termination occurs when the polymerase reaches a termination signal. In translation, initiation is the assembly of the ribosome - mRNA - tRNA complex, elongation is the addition of amino acids to the growing polypeptide chain, and termination is when a stop codon is reached. So this statement is correct.
• For the statement "Transcription starts and stops with the start and stop codon":
• Transcription starts at a promoter region (not a start codon, which is for translation) and stops at a termination signal (not a stop codon). So this statement is incorrect.
• For the statement "RNA polymerase is directly involved in translation":
• RNA polymerase is involved in transcription (synthesizing RNA from DNA). Translation involves ribosomes, tRNA, etc. So this statement is incorrect.
• For the statement "Ribosomes are essential in both transcription and translation":
• Ribosomes are essential in translation (for polypeptide synthesis). Transcription mainly involves RNA polymerase and DNA. So this statement is incorrect.

Answer:

• "Both transcription and translation are required for protein - coding genes to be expressed into a functional protein."
• "Both transcription and translation have distinct initiation, elongation, and termination phases."