Final answer:
Components of replication, transcription, and translation include DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, and ribosomes respectively, along with helicase, DNA ligase, and tRNA. DNA replication is initiated by DNA helicase, transcription happens through RNA polymerase, and translation involves ribosomes and tRNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
The processes of replication, transcription, and translation involve a variety of components.
- DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, and ribosomes are central to the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation, respectively.
- Helicase unwinds the DNA double helix, DNA ligase joins Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand, and tRNA carries amino acids during translation.
- Glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain are stages of cellular respiration, not directly related to DNA replication, transcription, or translation.
- Mitosis, meiosis, and cytokinesis are cell division processes, again not directly involved in the synthesis of nucleic acids or proteins.
DNA replication is initiated when DNA helicase breaks the hydrogen bonds between base pairs to unravel the double helix, creating a replication fork. To begin synthesis, an RNA primer is laid down, after which DNA polymerase adds nucleotides to the growing DNA strand. During transcription, RNA polymerase uses one strand of DNA as a template to synthesize a pre-messenger RNA molecule that is later processed into mRNA. This mRNA is then used during translation, where ribosomes read the mRNA sequence to synthesize proteins, with the help of transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules that bring in the appropriate amino acids.