Translation

Translation is the process where the ribosome reads the mRNA code and builds a protein in the cytoplasm after transcription.

The ribosome follows the instructions carried by mRNA to build a protein. You can think of the ribosome as the chef and the mRNA as the recipe written in a special code of A, U, G, and C.

The ribosome reads the mRNA code in groups of three letters at a time. Each group, called a codon, tells the ribosome which amino acid to add next. It begins when the ribosome finds the start codon, AUG, on the mRNA.

Each amino acid is delivered by a helper molecule called tRNA. Each tRNA has an anticodon that matches a codon on the mRNA.

As the ribosome moves along the mRNA, it links amino acids together, much like beads on a string, to form a long protein chain.

When the ribosome reaches a stop codon, translation ends. The new protein is released and begins folding into its unique shape so it can do its job in the cell.