My group and I chose to study the protein synthesis of insulin and how it relates to the development of type II diabetes. After choosing type II diabetes for the focus disease of our project, we first had to find out which protein caused the disease. This protein was insulin. We then had to find out what went wrong in the development of the insulin protein in order for the type II diabetes to form. We first studied how insulin normally formed.
Insulin is formed like any other protein. It has its unique code in the DNA which goes through the process of transcription and translation all the way to the protein folding. The amino acid chain goes through the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary steps of folding and finally insulin is formed. In people with type II diabetes however, this exact process does not happen. When the DNA splits and attaches to the mRNA during transcription, the mRNA doesn't get the complete code from the DNA. This causes there to be a single amino acid missing from the amino acid chain that is supposed to fold into the complete protein. This causes the protein insulin to not be produced which is why people with type II diabetes have to inject insulin into themselves. For this project, My group and I worked together very well with all contributing with the work equally. For myself, i did quite a bit of research, but worked more on the final poster. |
Concepts
TranscriptionTranscription is the process in which the mRNA is copied from the DNA template.
DNA-deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
MRNA-Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a subtype of RNA. An mRNA molecule carries a portion of the DNA code to other parts of the cell for processing. mRNA is created during transcription. During the transcription process, a single strand of DNA is decoded by RNA polymerase, and mRNA is synthesized.
Protein-any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids and are an essential part of all living organisms, especially as structural components of body tissues such as muscle, hair, collagen, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies.
TranslationTranslation is the process in which a mRNA chain is translated into a polypeptide chain.
Ribosome-a minute particle consisting of RNA and associated proteins, found in large numbers in the cytoplasm of living cells. They bind messenger RNA and transfer RNA to synthesize polypeptides and proteins.-Transfer RNA. Small RNA molecules that carry amino acids to the ribosome for polymerization into a polypeptide. During translation the amino acid is inserted into the growing polypeptide chain when the anticodon of the tRNA pairs with a codon on the mRNA being translated.
tRNA-Transfer RNA. Small RNA molecules that carry amino acids to the ribosome for polymerization into a polypeptide. During translation the amino acid is inserted into the growing polypeptide chain when the anticodon of the tRNA pairs with a codon on the mRNA being translated.
Codon/Anti-codon-anticodon: a triplet of nucleotide bases in transfer RNA that identifies the amino acid carried and binds to a complementary codon in messenger RNA during protein synthesis at a ribosome.
Amino Acid-a simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl (—COOH) and an amino (—NH2) group.
Polypeptide Chain-A polypeptide is a single linear chain of many amino acids, held together by amide bonds. A protein consists of one or more polypeptides (more than about 50 amino acids long). An oligopeptide consists of only a few amino acids (between two and twenty).
Reflection
There were a couple very interesting things that i learned were what and how the DNA folds to cause type two diabetes and also what you can do to eat and do to avoid this.
In this project there are many positive and negatives that will positively affect me in future school and life experiences. Two peaks include my new knowledge in proteins and type two diabetes. My new knowledge of protein folding will help me in future science classes because this is a key system in the bodies survival. The other positive, knowing the symptoms of eating healthy and exercising can reduce the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Even if there is no cure people can still slow the deterioration process of the brain if caught early through exercise and eating well.
There were also pitts in this project that I can learn from. One pitt was confusion on protein folding which prevented my group and I from fully understanding the concept. Another pitt was not knowing where the DNA folds to cause type 2 diabetes which made it very frustrating because we could not find it anywhere.
TranscriptionTranscription is the process in which the mRNA is copied from the DNA template.
DNA-deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
MRNA-Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a subtype of RNA. An mRNA molecule carries a portion of the DNA code to other parts of the cell for processing. mRNA is created during transcription. During the transcription process, a single strand of DNA is decoded by RNA polymerase, and mRNA is synthesized.
Protein-any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids and are an essential part of all living organisms, especially as structural components of body tissues such as muscle, hair, collagen, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies.
TranslationTranslation is the process in which a mRNA chain is translated into a polypeptide chain.
Ribosome-a minute particle consisting of RNA and associated proteins, found in large numbers in the cytoplasm of living cells. They bind messenger RNA and transfer RNA to synthesize polypeptides and proteins.-Transfer RNA. Small RNA molecules that carry amino acids to the ribosome for polymerization into a polypeptide. During translation the amino acid is inserted into the growing polypeptide chain when the anticodon of the tRNA pairs with a codon on the mRNA being translated.
tRNA-Transfer RNA. Small RNA molecules that carry amino acids to the ribosome for polymerization into a polypeptide. During translation the amino acid is inserted into the growing polypeptide chain when the anticodon of the tRNA pairs with a codon on the mRNA being translated.
Codon/Anti-codon-anticodon: a triplet of nucleotide bases in transfer RNA that identifies the amino acid carried and binds to a complementary codon in messenger RNA during protein synthesis at a ribosome.
Amino Acid-a simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl (—COOH) and an amino (—NH2) group.
Polypeptide Chain-A polypeptide is a single linear chain of many amino acids, held together by amide bonds. A protein consists of one or more polypeptides (more than about 50 amino acids long). An oligopeptide consists of only a few amino acids (between two and twenty).
Reflection
There were a couple very interesting things that i learned were what and how the DNA folds to cause type two diabetes and also what you can do to eat and do to avoid this.
In this project there are many positive and negatives that will positively affect me in future school and life experiences. Two peaks include my new knowledge in proteins and type two diabetes. My new knowledge of protein folding will help me in future science classes because this is a key system in the bodies survival. The other positive, knowing the symptoms of eating healthy and exercising can reduce the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Even if there is no cure people can still slow the deterioration process of the brain if caught early through exercise and eating well.
There were also pitts in this project that I can learn from. One pitt was confusion on protein folding which prevented my group and I from fully understanding the concept. Another pitt was not knowing where the DNA folds to cause type 2 diabetes which made it very frustrating because we could not find it anywhere.