Protein synthesis proceeds in which direction?
A) from the C-terminus to the N-terminus
B) from the middle towards the two ends
C) from the N-terminus to the C-terminus
D) the direction varies from one protein to another

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Protein synthesis proceeds in the direction from the N-terminus to the C-terminus. This is because the mRNA strand that serves as the template for protein synthesis is read in the 5' to 3' direction. The N-terminus of the growing polypeptide chain corresponds to the 5' end of the mRNA strand, whereas the C-terminus corresponds to the 3' end of the mRNA strand. Therefore, as the ribosome moves along the mRNA strand, amino acids are added to the C-terminus of the growing polypeptide chain.

Protein Synthesis Proceeds in Which Direction