First BioBlog - Introduction

My First BioBlog 

What is a BioBlog?

I have always admired the idea of producing blogs. So why not make one? BioBlogs will be a daily dose of biology. For everyone! I'll post a blog almost every day, relating to recent discoveries, interesting concepts, and biology applications for a whole year. 

Who am I?

I am a sophomore student in high school. Along with biology, I am also interested in chemistry, physics and mathematics, and want to pursue my passion involving these subjects. An interesting fact about me: I love visual applications of science and mathematics, whether it's motor coordination when playing the piano, or resonance structures for sulfur dioxide. 

Today's Topic: Post-transcriptional modifications to the mRNA.

DNA can be expressed by transcription, where the messenger RNA (mRNA) quite literally replicates DNA - but in its own way. However, some modifications have to be made after it is produced. Here's an overview of the process: 

Credit: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Post-transcriptional_modification_of_pre-mRNA.png

Scared to travel alone?

The mRNA has to travel from the "safe and cosy" nucleus to the "traumatizingly chaotic" cytoplasm. So, naturally, with hires bodyguards, or a 5'GTP and a polyadenylation signal at the 3' end. The 5' and 3' ends correspond to the "tails" of the RNA strand. These additions protect the mRNA from degradation, especially from hydrolytic enzymes present inside the cytoplasm, which may accidentally "eat" the mRNA.

Spliceosome and its function "splicing"

Next, a sophisticated mechanism called "spliceosome" "splices " or cuts pieces of the mRNA called introns. These pieces are useless bits of genetic instructions that are not necessary. However, in some cases, introns can turn into exons (which are the leftover useful bits) before the process of splicing. This, and the presence of introns creates genomic variety, otherwise known as exon shuffling. 

The end of the journey

What remains is only exons (or introns that have been converted to exons), a 5'cap and a polyA tail.

So, the mRNA safely moves out of the nucleus from "nuclear pores" or small openings, into the cytoplasm, or to the rough endoplasmic reticulum for protein synthesis. 

Thank you for reading my first BioBlog! I hope you have enjoyed it. Please check out other future blogs.