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).