Editing Cell (biology) (section)

=== Protein synthesis ===

{{main|Protein biosynthesis}}

Cells are capable of synthesizing new proteins, which are essential for the modulation and maintenance of cellular activities. This process involves the formation of new protein molecules from [[amino acid]] building blocks based on information encoded in DNA/RNA. Protein synthesis generally consists of two major steps: [[transcription (genetics)|transcription]] and [[translation (genetics)|translation]].

Transcription is the process where genetic information in DNA is used to produce a complementary RNA strand. This RNA strand is then processed to give [[messenger RNA]] (mRNA), which is free to migrate through the cell. mRNA molecules bind to protein-RNA complexes called [[ribosome]]s located in the [[cytosol]], where they are translated into polypeptide sequences. The ribosome mediates the formation of a polypeptide sequence based on the mRNA sequence. The mRNA sequence directly relates to the polypeptide sequence by binding to [[transfer RNA]] (tRNA) adapter molecules in binding pockets within the ribosome. The new polypeptide then folds into a functional three-dimensional protein molecule.