What is protein synthesis?

Protein synthesis is process of producing proteins using information coded by DNA, located in the nucleus of a cell. Two processes are performed to convert the information in DNA into proteins by cells.

First, in a process called transcription, the coding region of a gene is copied to a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) version of the double-stranded DNA. This is accomplished by RNA polymerase, a large enzyme that catalyzes the linkage of nucleotides into a RNA chain using DNA as a template. The RNA is further processed into messenger RNA (mRNA) before being transported to the cytoplasm.

Protein synthesis is a critical cellular process in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This is carried out by the ribosome, an evolutionarily conserved ribonucleoprotein complex, and assisted by many other proteins and RNA molecules. Together, they synthesize all proteins needed for various biological functions. Protein synthesis can be dissected into 3 stages: initiation, elongation, and termination. Each stage has different protein and RNA molecules that play a role in efficient catalysis. The ribosome also has three main sites: the acceptor site (A site), the peptidyl-transfer site (P site) and the exit site (E site) which house tRNA, facilitating catalysis.