prot1

The intent of this exercise is to get students thinking of the logic of protein synthesis before they attempt to figure out the mechanism. This much is evident from the first page. The second page attempts to give them addi- tional conceptual help, by asking them to think about “problems” that must be solved in real cells. For example, students always want to know how RNA polymerase “knows” which strand to transcribe, and which direction to go. This is one of those problems.

In practice, it is hard to get them to think this way. The vast majority attempt to write down what they have memorized about transcription and translation.


Protein synthesis puzzle The intent of this exercise is to get students thinking of the logic of protein synthesis before they attempt to figure out the mechanism. This much is evident from the first page. The second page attempts to give them addi- tional conceptual help, by asking them to think about “problems” that must be solved in real cells. For example, students always want to know how RNA polymerase “knows” which strand to transcribe, and which direction to go. This is one of those problems. In practice, it is hard to get them to think this way. The vast majority attempt to write down what they have memorized about transcription and translation.

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