Table of contents

1. Introduction to Genetics51m
2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance3h 37m
3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance2h 41m
4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage2h 28m
5. Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses1h 21m
6. Chromosomal Variation1h 48m
7. DNA and Chromosome Structure56m
8. DNA Replication1h 10m
9. Mitosis and Meiosis1h 34m
10. Transcription1h 0m
11. Translation58m
12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes1h 19m
13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes44m
14. Genetic Control of Development44m
15. Genomes and Genomics1h 50m
16. Transposable Elements47m
17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination1h 6m
18. Molecular Genetic Tools19m
- Genetic Cloning
  9m
- Methods for Analyzing DNA
  9m
19. Cancer Genetics29m
- Overview of Cancer
  21m
- Cancer Mutations
  7m
20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
21. Population Genetics50m
- Hardy Weinberg
  19m
- Allelic Frequency Changes
  31m
22. Evolutionary Genetics29m

11. Translation

The Genetic Code

Genetics

11. Translation

The Genetic Code

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1:50 minutes

Problem 9

Textbook Question

How many different proteins, each with a unique amino acid sequence, can be constructed that have a length of five amino acids?

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the problem. Proteins are made up of amino acids, and the sequence of these amino acids determines the protein's uniqueness. The problem asks for the number of unique sequences possible for a protein of length 5, given the number of amino acids available.

Step 2: Recall the number of amino acids. There are 20 standard amino acids that can be used to construct proteins.

Step 3: Recognize that each position in the sequence can independently be occupied by any of the 20 amino acids. This means the choices for each position are independent of the others.

Step 4: Use the formula for permutations with repetition. The total number of unique sequences is calculated as \( 20^n \), where \( n \) is the length of the protein. For a protein of length 5, the formula becomes \( 20^5 \).

Step 5: To solve, calculate \( 20^5 \) to determine the total number of unique sequences. This step involves multiplying 20 by itself five times.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, consisting of a central carbon atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable R group. There are 20 standard amino acids, each with unique properties determined by their R groups. The sequence and composition of these amino acids dictate the structure and function of the resulting protein.

Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is the biological process through which cells generate new proteins. It involves two main stages: transcription, where DNA is converted into messenger RNA (mRNA), and translation, where ribosomes read the mRNA sequence to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain. The order of amino acids in the chain is crucial for the protein's final structure and function.

Combinatorial Possibilities

Combinatorial possibilities refer to the different ways in which a set of items can be arranged or combined. In the context of protein construction, if each position in a five-amino-acid sequence can be filled by any of the 20 amino acids, the total number of unique sequences can be calculated using the formula 20^n, where n is the length of the sequence. For a length of five, this results in 20^5 unique combinations.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

What are the differences between the universal code and that found in the mitochondria of some species? Given that some changes (UGA =stop→Trp) have occurred multiple independent times in evolution, can you think of any selective advantage to the mitochondrial code?

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Textbook Question

In a coding experiment using repeating copolymers, the following data were obtained:

AGG is known to code for arginine. Taking into account the wobble hypothesis, assign each of the four codons produced in the experiment to its correct amino acid.

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Textbook Question

In the triplet binding technique, radioactivity remains on the filter when the amino acid corresponding to the codon is labeled. Explain the rationale for this technique.

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Textbook Question

What is the role of codons UAA, UGA, and UAG in translation? What events occur when one of these codons appears at the A site of the ribosome?

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Textbook Question

Predict the amino acid sequence produced during translation by the following short hypothetical mRNA sequences (note that the second sequence was formed from the first by a deletion of only one nucleotide):

Sequence 1: 5'-AUGCCGGAUUAUAGUUGA-3'

Sequence 2: 5'-AUGCCGGAUUAAGUUGA-3'

What type of mutation gave rise to sequence 2?

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Textbook Question

Third-base wobble allows some tRNAs to recognize more than one mRNA codon. Based on this chapter's discussion of wobble, what is the minimal number of tRNA molecules necessary to recognize the following amino acids?

Lysine

Isoleucine

Arginine

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