Okuzeka
Genetics & Biotechnology vocabulary · Gene Expression and Regulation

Translation

Meaning in genetics & biotechnology, with examples

nounCore term

In genetics & biotechnology, translation means: The process in which ribosomes read the codons of an mRNA molecule and join amino acids together in the right order to build a protein.

In Turkish: translasyon, protein sentezi, çeviri

How it is used

Used in molecular and cell biology. Translation starts at a start codon (AUG) and ends at a stop codon. Researchers talk about translation efficiency and inhibitors of translation. In this field the word does not mean translating a text unless the context clearly says so.

Example sentences

  1. Cycloheximide is often used to block translation in cultured cells.

  2. Translation of the mRNA stops when the ribosome reaches a stop codon.

Common collocations

  • protein translation
  • translation initiation
  • inhibit translation
  • translation efficiency
  • transcriptionThe first step of gene expression, in which an enzyme called RNA polymerase copies the DNA sequence of a gene into a matching RNA molecule.
  • codonA sequence of three bases in DNA or mRNA that codes for one amino acid or signals the start or end of protein building.
  • mRNAMessenger RNA: the RNA copy of a gene that carries its instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes, where the protein is made.
  • gene expressionThe process by which the information in a gene is used to make a product, usually a protein, and the level at which this happens in a cell.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Gene Expression and Regulation

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: