Protein Synthesis: Alzheimer's
By Gabriella Vasquez, Chris Kenney, Jake Hobson, and Jack Mulligan
Our assignment was to study protein synthesis, specifically through a disease. My team picked Alzheimer's to study. We split up research on the disease and on the steps of protein synthesis for Alzheimer's. The picture to the right is our final poster and the document below is our research document.
For this project, we were given seven questions to research and then told to link that work to out prior knowledge of protein synthesis. The poster we created has three sections; one about protein synthesis, one about Alzheimer's, and one about what happens during protein synthesis in Alzheimer's. Our poster is based off of the research we split up in the document below. |
Reflection
This project was a good way to incorporate our knowledge of protein synthesis and combine it with research skills to learn more about the diseases in our world. During this project, one thing I believe I did well was my leadership. Taking a leadership role has definitely been something I've been working towards, and it came out during this project. Another thing I believe I did well was organization. While creating the final poster and organizing the document, keeping everything under control and methodical helped our outcome. Two thing that needs to be worked on is time management and work ethic. Throughout the project, my group seemed to get very little done during class which left me to do most of the poster at home. Trying to improve work ethic and time management can help greatly in future project. The above buttons are links to my teammates pages.
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Content
Protein Synthesis: Codon- a sequence of three nucleotides in the DNA or RNA. Anti-Codon- A sequence of three codons that are complementary to the codons in the DNA or RNA. Polymerase- An enzyme that helps make polymers, like DNA and RNA. Polypeptide Chain- A chain consisting of amino acids to later form a protein. Proteins- A macromolecule formed by one or more polypeptide chains. Primary- The first step to protein folding, which is the polypeptide chain. Secondary- The second step to protein folding, with beta sheets and alpha helix. Tertiary- The third step to protein folding, where the chain starts to take a three dimensional form. Quaternary- The fourth and final step to protein folding, the protein is fully formed and ready for transportation. Transcription- The first step to protein synthesis which takes the DNA and creates mRNA that's sent into the cytoplasm. Translation- The second step to protein synthesis which reads the mRNA and creates a polypeptide chain with the help of ribosomes and tRNA. Alpha Helix- A common structure in protein folding that takes a right hand-spiral formation. Beta Sheets- Another common structure in protein folding that takes a twisted, pleated sheet formation. Amino Acids- The building blocks for proteins. DNA- Deoxyribonucleic acid; The genetic coding to all living things. RNA- Ribonucleic acid; one strand of the DNA which helps in protein synthesis. mRNA- Messanger RNA; carries a strand of RNA from the nucleus to ribosomes. tRNA- Transfer RNA; helps to decode mRNA and create a polypeptide chain. Amyloid Beta- A protein linked to the Amyloid plaques on the brain during Alzheimer's. Degenerative- A disease where cells degenerate which causes deteriorated tissues and organs. Amyloid plaque- Clumps of beta-amyloids formed on the brain that cuts off connectivity in Alzhiemer's. |