DNA to Proteins
Aligned to HS-LS1-1 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
The order of bases in DNA is a code that cells read to build proteins. Each protein folds into a specific shape set by its amino acid order, and that shape determines the job it does.
Worked examples
Example 1
The gene for hemoglobin specifies an exact amino acid order; a single base change swaps one amino acid, producing sickle-shaped red blood cells that carry less oxygen.
Example 2
Three DNA bases spell one amino acid, and the code is nearly identical in bacteria, yeast and humans — evidence of shared ancestry.
Example 3
Not every base change matters. Several codons spell the same amino acid, so a mutation there produces exactly the same protein.
Practice questions
- List the steps that carry information from a gene to a finished protein.
- Diagram how a change in one DNA base could change a protein's shape.
- Argue why the order of amino acids, not just their number, determines a protein's function.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Del ADN a las proteínas
El orden de las bases del ADN es un código que las células leen para construir proteínas. Cada proteína se pliega en una forma específica determinada por el orden de sus aminoácidos, y esa forma define la función que realiza.
Ejemplo 1: El gen de la hemoglobina especifica un orden exacto de aminoácidos; un cambio en una sola base sustituye un aminoácido y produce glóbulos rojos con forma de hoz que transportan menos oxígeno.
Ejemplo 2: Tres bases de ADN deletrean un aminoácido, y el código es casi idéntico en bacterias, levaduras y humanos — evidencia de ancestría común.
Ejemplo 3: No todo cambio de base importa. Varios codones deletrean el mismo aminoácido, así que una mutación ahí produce exactamente la misma proteína.
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