Here's how it works:
1. tRNA Structure: Each tRNA molecule has a specific three-dimensional structure with two important sites:
* Anticodon loop: This loop contains a sequence of three nucleotides called the anticodon. The anticodon is complementary to a specific codon on the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule.
* Amino acid attachment site: This site binds to a specific amino acid, determined by the anticodon.
2. Translation: During protein synthesis, ribosomes move along the mRNA, reading each codon.
* For each codon, a tRNA with the complementary anticodon binds to the mRNA.
* The tRNA carries the corresponding amino acid.
* The ribosome links the amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain.
3. Chain elongation: This process continues as the ribosome moves along the mRNA, adding amino acids one by one until a stop codon is reached.
Therefore, tRNA acts as an adapter molecule that translates the genetic code from mRNA into the amino acid sequence of a protein.
