CENTRAL DOGMA OF

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
 Cell Organization

Prokaryotes

Eukaryotes
What is the central dogma of molecular biology ?

Cell

DNA
Transcription

mRNA

Ribosome
Translation
Polypeptide
(protein)
What is the central dogma of molecular biology ?

Cell

DNA
Transcription

Transcription is the process by This is called messenger

which a molecule of DNA is RNA (mRNA) because it
mRNA
copied into a complementary acts as a messenger
strand of RNA. between DNA and the
Ribosome ribosomes where protein
synthesis is carried out.
Translation
Polypeptide
(protein)
 DNA
Transcription

mRNA

Translation
Ribosome

Polypeptide
(protein)

What is the biological significance?

It allows selective expression of genes
Regulation of transcription controls time, place and level
of protein expression
 DNA
Transcription

mRNA “The central dogma deals with the

detailed residue-by-residue transfer
of sequential information. It states
Translation that such information cannot be
Ribosome transferred back from protein to
Polypeptide
either protein or nucleic acid.”
(protein)

Protein information cannot

flow back to nucleic acids

Francis Crick, 1958

 DNA
Transcription

mRNA

Translation
Ribosome

Polypeptide
(protein)

 Transcription process
• RNA polymerase (an enzyme) attaches to DNA at a special sequence that serves as a “start
signal”.
• The DNA strands are separated and one strand serves as a template.
• The RNA bases attach to the complementary DNA template, thus synthesizing mRNA.
• The RNA polymerase recognizes a termination site on the DNA molecule and releases the
new mRNA molecule.
 DNA
Transcription

mRNA

Translation
Ribosome

Polypeptide
(protein)

 Translation the process of decoding a mRNA molecule into a protein.

• Each combination of 3 nucleotides on mRNA is called a codon. Why 3 letters?
• Each codon specifies a particular amino acid.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

• Each tRNA molecule has 2 important sites of attachment : anticodon site for binding to the
codon on the mRNA and amino acid site. The anticodon of a tRNA molecule base pairs
with the appropriate mRNA codon.
Basic structure of a gene in eukaryote

Regulatory region coding region