Final answer:
The student's question involves converting a DNA sequence into its complementary mRNA and determining the resulting amino acid sequence. This process illustrates the central dogma of molecular biology, which includes the transcription of DNA to mRNA and the translation of mRNA to proteins.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the transcription of DNA into mRNA and the translation of mRNA into an amino acid sequence. When DNA is transcribed into mRNA, the resulting RNA sequence is complimentary to the template DNA strand. This means that adenine (A) pairs with uracil (U) in RNA instead of thymine (T), cytosine (C) with guanine (G), and so forth.
For instance, the DNA sequence 3'...GCT GTC AAA TTC GAT...5' will be transcribed into the mRNA sequence 5'...CGA CAG UUU AAG CUA...3'. The ribosome then translates this mRNA sequence into a chain of amino acids using the genetic code, which specifies which codons code for which amino acids. A mutation in the DNA sequence can lead to changes in the mRNA and possibly changes in the resulting amino acid sequence of the protein, potentially affecting its function. These mutations can be categorized into different types, such as silent, missense, nonsense, or frameshift mutations, depending on how they alter the amino acid sequence.