Nucleus DNA
CELL

In eukaryotic cells, pre-mRNA is processed by adding a 5′ cap and a poly-A tail, removing introns, and joining exons to produce mature mRNA. The mature mRNA exits the nucleus through a nuclear pore and travels to a ribosome in the cytoplasm for translation.

After translation, the polypeptide folds into a specific three-dimensional shape influenced by its amino acid sequence. This shape helps determine the protein's function, and changes to the amino acid sequence can affect its structure and ability to function properly.

Step 1

DNA contains the instructions for making proteins.

Step 1 of 2