‘The flow of information from DNA to RNA to proteins is one of the fundamental principles of molecular biology. It is so important that it is sometimes called the “central dogma”.'

Our DNA carries the genetic information in sections called genes. Most genes contain the information needed to make functional molecules called proteins (few produce regulatory molecules that help the cell assemble proteins). The journey from gene to protein is complex and tightly controlled within each cell and consists of two major phases:

     - Transcription -  the information stored in a gene's DNA is passed to a similar molecule called RNA (ribonucleic acid) in the cell nucleus. 

        - The type of RNA that contains the information for making a protein is called messenger RNA (mRNA) because it carries the information, or message, from the DNA out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm.

     - Translation - in the cytoplasm, the mRNA interacts with a specialized complex called a ribosome, which "reads" the sequence of mRNA nucleotides. Each sequence of three nucleotides, called a codon, usually codes for one particular amino acid, which are the building blocks of proteins. A type of RNA called transfer RNA (tRNA) assembles the protein, one amino acid at a time.
Source: National Library of Medicine

Check out the 3D animated depiction of the first phase - the mRNA formation that our team at Helix Animation created:
 

Protein synthesis is one of the foundational concepts in biology and its detailed understanding is essential in studying various medical fields, from the molecular basis of genetic diseases through antibiotic development to expressing recombinant proteins as drugs or clinical laboratory reagents. As our understanding of the mechanisms of protein synthesis continues to grow, there will likely be countless additional applications for this knowledge in medicine, research, and industry. Source: National Institutes of Health
 

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