Friday, November 13, 2020

What is mRNA

The human organism is one of the most complex structures in the known universe. Just think of all its component parts, each with their own function and purpose.

What is mRNA? Well, it's a part of the process that translates genetic information from DNA into proteins.

Think of it like this: The DNA is the blueprint for everything you are.

A single cell, for example, contains all the DNA needed to rebuild a human being if you could find some way to put it in the right order. Cool huh?

DNA is quite interesting. It contains all the information needed to build a human being, but it cannot do this on its own.

It needs the help of proteins, which are just like DNA in a way. They contain all the information needed to build you too.


Ribosomes are complex cellular organelles found in all cells engaged in protein synthesis. Ribosomes consist of two major subunit types: 40S and 60S. Each ribosome has one large and one small subunit, each containing a site that binds with messenger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA, like the DNA contained within chromosomes or plasmids, contains genetic information encoded as nucleotide base sequence data.

The ribosome interacts with mRNA through complementary base pairing, where the two strands of DNA are held together by hydrogen bonds to form a double helix. The correct sequence is read in groups of three nucleotides known as codons (codon refers to a triplet code for an amino acid). Each codon on the mRNA strand is matched up with its complimentary tRNA anticodon on the 60S subunit of the ribosome. These interactions allow proteins and their corresponding messenger RNA to bind at precise locations along the mRNA leader.

The mRNA message is read by the ribosome, a complex molecular machine that consists of both RNA and protein components. The ribosome is responsible for translation -- or the process of matching codons with their respective tRNA molecules so as to determine which amino acids are required to build a particular protein.

The ribosome contains two subunits: the small ribosomal subunit, which includes the site for binding with mRNA and tRNA molecules; and a large subunit, which is responsible for peptide bond formation. The remaining components of the completed protein are delivered in its linear sequence by transfer RNA (tRNA). Synthesis begins at one end of an mRNA strand.

The mRNA strand is read in 3-nucleotide segments known as codons. The ribosome binds to the start of an mRNA with its small subunit and scans until it reaches a stop codon, where translation stops. If there are subsequent coding sequences on the same mRNA molecule, then these can be translated into protein by another round of ribosomal binding.

The ribosome reads the mRNA 3-nucleotide segments in groups of three as codons. Each codon on the mRNA strand is matched up with its complimentary tRNA anticodon on the 60S subunit of the ribosome.


Molecular biologists, along with the rest of society, often think of mRNA as a type of protein. This is false. Proteins can be thought of as machine-like assemblages (specifically using machines that manufacture other specific machines), whereas molecular biologists think about them in terms similar to how they would about an atom--as if proteins were fundamental and intrinsicaly indivisible units. They are not.

Proteins are produced by translation of mRNA, which is a type of structural molecule that does not have any machine-like properties. Only when the proteins are assembled can they be thought of as machines in their own right. It is more accurate to think about genes as part of a complex system that produces self-reproducing molecular machines.

Molecular biologists also think of genes as if they were atoms, in that they are thought to be pieces of DNA that have atomic properties. This is false. Genes are produced by molecular machines--proteins--and thus their behavior can only be understood as part of a complex system.

Molecular biologists, along with the rest of society, confuse genes and their production (mRNA) with DNA. It is like mistaking a factory for the products that it produces--mistaking an automobile assembly line for automobiles.

This confusion, a result of our human biases, is so strong that even the most brilliant molecular biologists are unable to think outside of it.

Molecular biologists also think of DNA as if it were a static substance that is simply passed on from one generation to the next. This is not true; rather, it is an assemblage produced by molecular machines.


How does the human brain see mRNA? I imagine it must be something like a very small, segmented worm that crawls around in your head. The segments of this worm are made up of smaller parts which can either stretch or shrink. These segments then have other things on them, such as hooks and loops and they all work together to make the final picture that is seen by you.

As humans, we see things from two different perspectives. We can perceive these segments as a whole and also individually. The problem comes when your brain tries to combine the information it has received from the small segments with what is already in memory. This occurs because your brain accesses another part of its memory bank which holds pictures that you have seen before.

The interesting part of the story is that even though these segments are made up of smaller parts, you as a human being typically only see them as one whole. It's almost like they're assembling in your brain from pieces into the final idea or picture.

Your brain must hold onto the information from these segments for a longer period of time than you would think it should. I imagine that this is because your brain needs to take in as much information about each segment, including its shape and size, so that it can be stored properly. Without proper storage of all the data encoded by these segments, you wouldn't have memories of anything.

In the end, human beings use these segments to give meaning and significance to the objects around them. You can see this in a way as how your brain takes information from all of these different segments and combines it into a meaningful picture or idea.

As you can see, human beings must have some sort of way of storing information from these segments. Although we humans don't know everything about how our brain stores this information, it is clear that whatever process your brain uses to store this data must be very complicated.


mRNA (or Rna) is an acid-based molecule present in nearly all living cells. The mRNA, which is produced by DNA within the nucleus of a cell, then travels to the ribosomes where it directs protein production. There are many types of mRNA molecules used for various purposes including coding and regulating genes.

The study of mRNA has provided a great deal of insight into the cellular processes that occur within living cells. It is also important to understand how these processes are regulated, as this knowledge can be used for treatment and prevention of diseases.

Genes control these processes by encoding the mRNA. The information encoded in DNA that is decoded into mRNA is how genes tell cells what to do and when.

It is important to remember that genes don't control our lives. They are simply a set of instructions, like the recipes for cooking.

The gene pool is the complete set of genetic information encoded by a species or population. It is important to remember that genes don't control our lives. They are simply a set of instructions, like the recipes for cooking.

The human genome, for example, contains about twenty thousand genes. We are born with all the genes that we will ever have.


When we take a moment to look around at the world, it is easy to see that there are many things in this universe which fall outside of our own narrow way of looking at it. We try to fit everything into a nice little box, as if nothing else exists beyond what we know and understand.

Human biology is complex, but it has a simple underlying organization. Everything in the human body follows one basic organizational structure: DNA -> RNA -> Protein. On the surface, this looks like a very straightforward and easily understood system.

However, if we take a closer look at how this system actually functions, things get much more complicated. For example,

DNA is a complex molecule with many different parts that all need to work together in order for the cell to function. However, DNA does not exist on its own. It needs RNA and other proteins in order to do anything useful.

RNA is a molecule that can both carry information from DNA to the parts of the cell where it will be used, and help make new proteins for use in cells. However, RNA is not just one type of molecule -- there are many different types.

Each type of RNA has a different function, and the cell can make many types of RNA at one time. Without every kind of RNA working together to form a whole system, the cell would not be able to carry out any functions.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Sayings and Phrases About Grain

"Take it with a grain of salt." Meaning: To be skeptical or cautious about something, as it may not be entirely true or accurate. ...