Assume you had 2 copies of mature mRNA for the Thor protein. The polypeptide is a chain with 300 amino acids. Assume one ribosome can attach onto an mRNA molecule every 10 nucleotides. One amino acid can be translated in 60 milliseconds. How many copies of Thor protein could be made in 2 minutes?

• 300 amino acids with 300 codons of 3 nucleotides = 900 base pairs
• 900 base pairs / 1 ribosome every 10 nucleotides = 90 ribosomes needed
• 2 minutes = 120 seconds, 60 milliseconds = 0.06 seconds
• 120 seconds / 0.06 seconds = 2000 amino acids being synthesized in 2 minutes in one mRNA strand by one ribosome
• 2000*90 = 180000 amino acids for one strand being synthesized by 90 ribosomes in 2 minutes
• 180000 amino acids/300 amino acids per polypeptide chain = 600 copies made in 2 minutes by 90 ribosomes for one mRNA strand
• 600 copies * 2 mRNA strands = 1200 copies of Thor protein

• 60 milliseconds = 0.06 seconds
• 300 amino acids * 0.06 seconds = 18 seconds to make 300 amino acids
• 18 seconds for ribosome to synthesize one molecule of Thor protein, then in 120 seconds
• 2 mins = 120 seconds
• 120/ 18 seconds per copy of Thor protein = 6.7 Thor copies made in 2 minutes
• 900 base pairs / 1 ribosome every 10 nucleotides = 90 ribosomes needed for one copy, therefore 180 ribosomes two copies of the mRNA
• one ribosome can make 6.7 copies of the Thor protein in 2 minutes
• 6.7 copies for the 180 ribosomes needs = 1206 copies of the Thor protein made in 2 minutes

Therefore, 1206 copies of the Thor protein are made in 2 minutes

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