RNA

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/rna

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key processes involved?Transcription (DNA to RNA) and Translation (RNA to protein)
2. What is the biotechnological applications?Foundation for mRNA vaccines, RNA interference (RNAi) therapies, and gene editing tools
3. What is RNA and why is it important?RNA is a tiny helper that carries messages from DNA to make proteins. It helps build and control the cells in our bodies.
4. How does RNA help make proteins?RNA copies DNA into messenger RNA (mRNA), moves to the ribosome, and tells the ribosome how to link amino acids together into proteins.

Codon: A sequence of three nucleotides in DNA or RNA that specifies a particular amino acid or termination signal.
Non-coding RNA (ncRNA): RNA molecules that are not translated into proteins but have regulatory or structural functions.
Ribosome: A complex molecular machine found within all living cells that serves as the site of biological protein synthesis.