(Noun. /trans-fer-R-N-A/)
by Erick Figueroa-Ildefonso
What does it mean?
Transfer tRNA (tRNA) is a type of small RNA molecule that helps to decode a messenger RNA (mRNA) into a sequence of amino acids. During translation, tRNA links the mRNA to the growing chain of amino acids that make up the protein. Each amino acid is specified by a three-nucleotide mRNA sequence called a codon, and each codon is recognized by a specific tRNA.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“A tRNA molecule has a distinctive folded structure in the shape of a three-leafed clover.”
Figure 1. During translation, tRNA molecules (in blue) recognize their corresponding codons and add an amino acid (colored circles) to the protein. Image generated by author using BioRender.
Related terms
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
Molecular biology
Genomics
Evolutionary biology
