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What is the role of RNA polymerase and ribosomes in the process of RNA transcription and translation? How does the molecular structure of ribosomes and RNA polymerase allow for their specific functions in protein synthesis?

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RNA polymerase and ribosomes play crucial roles in the central dogma of molecular biology, which involves the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to proteins. RNA polymerase is involved in the process of transcription, while ribosomes are involved in translation.Transcription:During transcription, RNA polymerase reads the DNA template strand and synthesizes a complementary RNA molecule called messenger RNA  mRNA . The role of RNA polymerase is to catalyze the formation of phosphodiester bonds between ribonucleotide triphosphates, which are the building blocks of RNA. The molecular structure of RNA polymerase allows it to recognize and bind to specific DNA sequences called promoters, which are located upstream of the gene to be transcribed. The enzyme then unwinds the DNA double helix and adds ribonucleotides complementary to the DNA template strand, synthesizing the mRNA molecule in the 5' to 3' direction. Once the transcription is complete, RNA polymerase releases the mRNA molecule and dissociates from the DNA.Translation:Ribosomes are the cellular machinery responsible for translating the genetic information encoded in the mRNA into a specific sequence of amino acids, which ultimately forms a protein. Ribosomes consist of two subunits, a large subunit and a small subunit, both of which are composed of ribosomal RNA  rRNA  and proteins. The molecular structure of ribosomes allows them to perform their specific functions in protein synthesis.During translation, the small ribosomal subunit binds to the mRNA molecule at the start codon  AUG , which signals the beginning of the coding sequence. Transfer RNA  tRNA  molecules, which carry specific amino acids, recognize and bind to the mRNA codons via their anticodons. The large ribosomal subunit then binds to the small subunit, forming a complete ribosome. The ribosome has three sites for tRNA binding: the A  aminoacyl  site, the P  peptidyl  site, and the E  exit  site.The ribosome moves along the mRNA molecule in the 5' to 3' direction, facilitating the binding of tRNAs with their corresponding codons. The amino acids carried by the tRNAs are joined together through peptide bonds, forming a growing polypeptide chain. This process continues until the ribosome encounters a stop codon  UAA, UAG, or UGA , which signals the end of translation. The ribosome then releases the completed polypeptide chain and dissociates into its two subunits.In summary, RNA polymerase and ribosomes are essential components of the protein synthesis process. RNA polymerase is responsible for transcribing the genetic information from DNA into mRNA, while ribosomes translate the mRNA into a specific sequence of amino acids to form proteins. The molecular structures of RNA polymerase and ribosomes enable them to perform their specific functions in transcription and translation, respectively.
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