What type of protein does DNA make?

[fredreload]

I know DNA make protein, but what does this protein do? I heard it turns into white blood cell, does it also turn into enzyme?

[Strange]

DNA makes many different proteins. The "letters" (codons) in the DNA specify a sequence of amino acids - and proteins are made up of amino acids strung together.

 

Some of these proteins are enzymes, some are the structural components of the cell, others have other uses. All cells, including white blood cells, are constructed by the proteins created by the DNA.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Strange

[CharonY]

DNA does not make any proteins. They just provide the template for all proteins. Proteins are made within ribosomes. And proteins do almost everything in and outside cells. The last part of your question does not make sense. Proteins do not turn into cells, they are part of cells (all cells).

 

Basically, almost everything a cell does, such as metabolism, replication etc. as well as most of the structure are all provided by proteins. Lots of them.

[Strange]

DNA does not make any proteins. They just provide the template for all proteins.

 

 

Good point!

[fredreload]

Well then, something tells me that cell differentiation has nothing to do with DNA protein production but with gene expression. Does the cell differentiate during replication stage and does it have anything to do with protein production, I'm confused on this one

 

Possible answer:

1. Cell type is capable of changing from one type to another muscle->bone through protein production

( I don't see this happening though it's always muscle->stem cell->bone or stem cell->bone)

 

2. Cell type is defined during replication, zygote->blastomere, cell differentiation occurs during replication. Part of the DNA works for differentiation, another part works for protein production after it is set?

(I don't see how part of the DNA is for gene expression, then another part is for production)

 

P.S. Ultimately something is governing the change in gene expression, well they call it epigenetics

Edited September 8, 2016 by fredreload

[CharonY]

Gene expression means that RNA is formed. A large proportion of that RNA (mRNA) is involved as template for protein biosynthesis. I.e. if someone mentions gene expression, protein synthesis is implied. There are exceptions, of course which include structural and regulatory RNAs. However, gene expression generally means the former.

 

Cells also do not randomly differentiate from one type or another. Rather there are precursor cells that are not (e.g. stem cells) or only partially differentiated that can form the the various cell types. They generally do not revert to a less differentiated state. So both 1. and 2. are simply wrong. Epigenetics had a shift in meaning (among molecular biologists at least, developmental and other biologists used it broader for a longer time) over the last decade or so and mostly referred to a number of mechanisms that act on DNA, such as methylation or mechanisms affecting chromatin structre. But some are starting more and more to use it in a more general sense and start to incorporate e.g. transcription factors who generally just fell under gene regulation.

 

Considering the existing confusion I suggest reading at least a few articles on DNA functions (or even better, grab a text book), and then branch out to things like cell physiology. It will help you to get a better and systematic understanding of the concepts rather than trying to juggle bits and pieces (and inevitably getting confused by them).

[fredreload]

Thanks for the reply

Edited September 9, 2016 by fredreload