What is translation?

Reading the code

Translation takes place at the ribosome, the cellular machine that reads messenger RNA. The mRNA sequence is interpreted in groups of three bases — codons — and each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid, with dedicated start and stop codons marking where to begin and end. This correspondence between codons and amino acids is the genetic code, which is nearly universal across life.

tRNA and anticodons

The amino acids are brought to the ribosome by transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules. Each tRNA carries a particular amino acid and displays a three-base anticodon that pairs with the matching codon on the mRNA.

As the ribosome moves along the mRNA, successive tRNAs deliver their amino acids in the order dictated by the codons, and the ribosome links them with peptide bonds, building the protein chain from one end to the other.

Step two of the central dogma

Translation is the second major step of the central dogma — DNA to RNA to protein. Whereas transcription copies a gene into RNA, translation converts that RNA message into a working protein. Because many copies of a protein can be translated from a single mRNA, and many ribosomes can read one mRNA at once, translation lets cells produce proteins efficiently and in response to need.

Research relevance

Translation is fundamental to how cells build the proteins that carry out their functions, and its study informs molecular biology and biotechnology, including the design of synthetic mRNA that directs cells to make chosen proteins. Detailed, standardised description of constructs and methods supports reproducibility in this research.