Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

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Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The central dogma of molecular biology describes how information stored in the genetic code becomes a protein capable of doing work within the cell. DNA can be replicated to make another copy. DNA can also be transcribed into RNA which is then translated into a protein. Replication, transcription, and translation are all different processes with specific cellular machinery involved. In order to understand these complex process it is important to understand the differences in DNA, RNA, and protein.
It is important to understand as we talk about genetic mutations and the issues caused by these mutations, that it is actually the change in the shape of the protein that causes a problem at the cellular level. In a protein shape equals function; therefore a change in the shape of a protein will lead to altered ability to do the job that the protein is intended to perform.
Image courtesy of Dhorspool en.Wikipedia

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology