I created this script using http://employees.csbsju.edu/hjakubowski/classes/chem%20and%20society/cent_dogma/olcentdogma.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3HVVi2k2No and http://misc.flogisoft.com/bash/tip_colors_and_formatting, feel free to check these sites out.
The 'Central Dogma' of molecular biology is that 'DNA makes RNA makes protein'. This script shows how molecular commands transcribe the genes in the DNA of every cell into portable RNA messages, how those messenger RNA are modified and exported from the nucleus, and finally how the RNA code is read to build proteins.
"
waitprint "Part 1: the DNA.
"
waitprint bio "Everything starts with a organic molecule called Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
This molecule has an intresting structure that can be trimmed down to a simple variable containing the four bases (called chromosomes) of the DNA: A, T, C and G.
"
waitprint bash "Let's declare an array and assign values to it."
waitprint bio "The DNA is composed of (almost) endless combinations of these four chromosome, held together in a double helicoidal structure by phosphorus and a deoxyribose (a type of sugar).
The chromosomes of one strand are complementary to the chromosomes of the other: A always stays close to T, and G to C.
"
waitprint bash "First let's declare the dna variable as an array (with two indexes, one per strand):"
set -x
declare -A dna
dna[0]=""; dna[1]=""
set +x
waitprint bash 'This is the equivalent function in bash that generates a chromsome couple.
mkdna(){
# $1 is the index of the chromosome array
case${chromosome[$1]} in # Generate complementary of chromosome.
untilecho"${dna[*]}"| grep -q "T-A-T-A-A-A";do# This loop creates random combinations until we get a TATAAA magic string in at least one of the strands
untilecho"${dna[*]}"| grep -q "T-A-T-A-A-A";do# This loop creates random combinations until we get a TATAAA magic string in at least one of the strands
random=$(shuf -i 0-3 -n 1)# Generate random chromosome
mkdna $random
done
random=$(shuf -i 0-3 -n 1)# Generate random chromosome
mkdna $random y
done
waitprint "
The various combinations are like source code: a certain combination of chromosomes (alias words) that contain encoded instructions on how to build proteins (alias programs)."
waitprint "Part 2: Initiation of Transcription.
"
waitprint bio "Transcription begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase attaches to the DNA template strand and begins assembling a new chain of nucleotides to produce a complementary RNA strand. There are multiple types of types of RNA. In eukaryotes, there are multiple types of RNA polymerase which make the various types of RNA. In prokaryotes, a single RNA polymerase makes all types of RNA. Generally speaking, polymerases are large enzymes that work together with a number of other specialized cell proteins. These cell proteins, called transcription factors, help determine which DNA sequences should be transcribed and precisely when the transcription process should occur."
waitprint bio "The first step in transcription is initiation. During this step, RNA polymerase and its associated transcription factors bind to the DNA strand at a specific area that facilitates transcription. This area, known as a promoter region, often includes a specialized nucleotide sequence, TATAAA, which is also called the TATA box"
