Genes are often spoken about in academia and in pop culture. The word is one of the few pieces of science jargon that have made their way into common vernacular. However, most people are unaware of exactly how genes are able to influence all of our characteristics.
Genes Are Made of DNA
Genes are sections of DNA that can be read by the cells and are generally contained in the nucleus. These sections of DNA consist of four different types of molecules called nucleotides. The nucleotides are represented by A’s, T’s, C’s, and G’s. Two corresponding strands of DNA use these nucleotides to connect to one another, making it necessary for proteins to unwind the associated strands.
From DNA to RNA
As the strands are unwound, a protein called RNA polymerase transcribes the strands into a sequence of A’s, U’s, C’s, and G’s. This RNA sequence is in contrast to the original DNA sequence which has T’s instead of U’s. Once sufficient measures are taken by the cell to protect this sensitive strand from degradation as well as remove its unwanted portions, the strand of RNA may leave the nucleus.
From RNA to Proteins
The RNA strand is then translated into a protein. This occurs through the use of machinery called ribosomes which are made of both RNA and proteins. A ribosome reads the RNA strand three letters at a time. Every set of three letters indicates that a certain amino acid, or unit of a protein, should be added. After one of three particular sets of letters is noticed by the ribosome, the creation of the protein is stopped. This protein, whether it be insulin or some other long string of amino acids, goes through further processing. The desired configuration is reached and the protein can then remain in the cell or be sent to other cells within the body. This is the point at which the protein, encoded by a gene, can have influence over bodily functions and appearances.
Exceptions to How Genes Are Expressed
This explanation of how genes are expressed in the body is very generalized. There are many things that could go wrong in the process, meaning that these steps may not be completed. Sometimes certain genes are not meant to be expressed in this way and the gene is never transcribed from DNA to RNA or translated from RNA to amino acids. The steps that a cell has to take in order to express a gene are extremely complex and that complexity is the reason why such small portions of the public are aware of the process.
