Final answer:
The sequence of an mRNA molecule is read in sets of three nucleotide bases called codons, each of which codes for a specific amino acid. The process, known as translation, involves ribosomes which interpret the mRNA codons to synthesize proteins according to the genetic code, following the flow described by the Central Dogma of molecular biology.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Reading of mRNA Sequences
The sequence of a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule is crucial for the synthesis of proteins within a cell. Each codon, a sequence of three nucleotides in the mRNA, corresponds to a specific amino acid. As an example, if a DNA sequence is 5'-AATTGCGC-3', the mRNA transcript would be 3'-UUAACGCG-5' due to the complementary base pairing, replacing thymine (T) with uracil (U). The process of creating a protein from the mRNA involves the translation where ribosomes read the mRNA sequence in sets of three bases or codons.
The translation process effectively converts genetic information from the nucleotide sequence into a chain of amino acids, thereby synthesizing the required proteins. Each group of three nucleotides in the mRNA, called a codon, is matched with its corresponding amino acid through the help of transfer RNA (tRNA). The Central Dogma of molecular biology explains this flow of information from DNA to mRNA and then to protein. The genetic code is critical in this process, comprising 64 codons that define which of the 20 common amino acids will be added to the growing polypeptide chain.
In summary, during translation, the mRNA is read three bases at a time by the ribosome, with each triplet or codon specifying a particular amino acid. Through a complex interaction among mRNA, ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and tRNA, proteins are synthesized according to the code dictated by the sequence of codons in the mRNA.