DNA and protein synthesis

Transcription 1

The first stage of protein synthesis is transcription.
In the first stage of transcription the two DNA strands are separated from each other.

DNA consists of rows of paired bases. Bases carry the genetic information - the code - required to make proteins. One row of bases is used. This is the sense strand.
The other row is not used and is the non-sense strand.
A triplet of bases codes for an amino acid. The diagram above shows three triplets

Before the sense strand can be copied, the two strands are 'unzipped'. This is done by an enzyme (called DNA helicase).