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Can genes synthesize proteins?
Most genes contain the information needed to make functional molecules called proteins. (A few genes produce regulatory molecules that help the cell assemble proteins.) The journey from gene to protein is complex and tightly controlled within each cell.
Could the same gene produce different proteins if yes how?
Scientists have long known that it’s possible for one gene to produce slightly different forms of the same protein by skipping or including certain sequences from the messenger RNA. Human genes typically contain several “exons,” or DNA sequences that code for amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Do different cells make different proteins?
All the cells of higher organisms have the same DNA but not the same proteins. Each type of specialised cell that forms a tissue has its own pattern of gene expression and, consequently, it contains a particular set of proteins that determine its function.
Why do different cells synthesize different proteins of their genetic code is identical?
So different cell types “turn on” different genes, allowing different proteins to be made. This gives different cell types different functions. Once a gene is expressed, the protein product of that gene is usually made. For this reason, gene expression and protein synthesis are often considered the same process.
Why do cells synthesize proteins?
Without them, our cells couldn’t do their jobs and we would die. Like the furniture in your house, proteins wear out over time, so our cells are continuously making new proteins through the process of protein synthesis. Protein synthesis has two main steps: transcription and translation.
How do you synthesize proteins?
The Art of Protein Synthesis During transcription, DNA is used as a template to make a molecule of messenger RNA (mRNA). The molecule of mRNA then leaves the nucleus and goes to a ribosome in the cytoplasm, where translation occurs. During translation, the genetic code in mRNA is read and used to make a protein.
Why can one gene produce multiple proteins?
This process is known as splicing. RNA splicing involves the removal or “splicing out” of certain sequences in the mRNA, referred to as intervening sequences, or introns. Splicing different combinations of exon together can lead to the production of a variety of different proteins being produced from a single gene.
Why do cells differ from each other in function even though they have the same genetic material?
Different cells in a multicellular organism may express very different sets of genes, even though they contain the same DNA. The set of genes expressed in a cell determines the set of proteins and functional RNAs it contains, giving it its unique properties.
Can genetically identical cells be different?
DNA segments called genes encode specific proteins. But the amount of protein produced by a given gene — referred to as gene expression — can vary not only between people, but also among identical cells in the same person. That fluctuation in gene expression between identical cells is called cellular noise.
How do genetically identical cells become different?
Genetically identical cells can differ in structure and function because they have differentiated gene expression.