Observe how the mRNA interacts with the ribosome in the simulation. How is this interaction similar to what actually happens in translation?

Answer 1

The interaction between mRNA and ribosomes in the simulation is meant to reflect the process of translation that occurs in cells. During translation, the ribosome uses the information stored in the mRNA molecule to synthesize a protein. The ribosome moves along the mRNA molecule and reads its codons (sets of three nucleotides) to determine which amino acids should be added to the growing polypeptide chain.

In the simulation, the mRNA molecule is represented as a linear sequence of codons, and the ribosome is represented as a moving object that recognizes and interacts with the codons. The ribosome moves along the mRNA and recognizes each codon by binding to it. This interaction is similar to what happens in real cells, where the ribosome recognizes codons by binding to specific sites on the mRNA molecule.

In the simulation, the ribosome can also interact with tRNA molecules, which bring the correct amino acids to the ribosome for incorporation into the growing polypeptide chain. This is similar to what happens in real cells, where tRNA molecules bring the correct amino acids to the ribosome for use in protein synthesis.

Overall, the interaction between mRNA and ribosomes in the simulation is meant to closely resemble the process of translation that occurs in cells.