The teaching of protein synthesis - a microcomputer based method

Abstract

Two programs written in BASIC are used for the teaching of protein synthesis. Students may individually and at their own pace test their knowledge of base pairing using one of the programs. Again individually, students then investigate the process of protein synthesis using randomly generated DNA sequences produced by the second program. Students are thereby reinforcing their understanding of base pairing, complementary sequences, triplet codons, and relating nucleotide sequences to amino acid sequences. The final part of the second exercise introduces a known genetic defect of man.