Protein Synthesis Lab

        Throughout this lab, I have discovered that protein molecules are made in two steps; translation and transcription. In translation, DNA is converted to RNA in the  nucleus, making a temporary copy of the genome. The RNA is then transferred to a ribosome, in which amino acids are made in a new sequence of codons. Finally, the newly formed amino acids nature themselves into a protein molecule.
        As I progressed in the lab, I began to realize that mutations are found in proteins, coming in many different forms that effect the protein production process. Main mutations include substitution, where a single nucleotide is replaced with another, insertion, where a nucleotide is added to the code, and deletion, where a nucleotide is taken out of the code. These mutations can cause harmless, destructive, or positive genes, killing an organism or allowing it to thrive. Out of the three main mutations, I believe that deletion is the most destructive, as two nucleotides are left out of the processing code. However, I also believe that substitution is the most harmless mutation, with only one nucleotide being changed. If additional information is given, however, the destructive power of a mutation can alter.

        In the final part of the lab, I was given the task of using a mutation to test its destructive capabilities if it was used in a different way. I chose substitution, switching the two nucleotides in the front into different genes. This created a stop codon, forcing the ribosome to make no protein at all. This is important because it influences the idea that the place of a mutation in the gene matters.
        Mutations can effect life dramatically, but have the potential to cause positive traits as well. For example, a mutation located in Italy named "Apo-AIM" is a stronger version of Apo AI, which works to help cholesterol flow throughout the body. This gene also acts as a antioxidant, which helps to reduce inflammation in the arteriesclerosis.