DNA to Protein - Transcription and Translation

This animation, from the Wellcome Trust, illustrates how the DNA code is used to build protein molecules inside our cells.

It shows how, during the process of transcription, polymerase unzips the DNA and uses it as a template to produce a strand of messenger RNA (mRNA) . The animation then goes on to show how this mRNA, along with transfer-RNA, is used in ribosomes to translate the genetic code during the joining of amino acids in protein synthesis.

The animation contains quite a high level of detail and is more suited to students following post-16 biology courses. It may, however, be suitable for some younger students as an extension to their learning.

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