Protein Synthesis Rap

In The Friday Awards a few weeks ago, we asked Sparkler tawly31 to send us her protein synthesis rap. tawly31 came through, and we're excited to share this little gem with all of you! —SparkNotes Editors

Hi, I just want to say that I wrote this rap in memory of my friend, Daniel Sherman, who passed away recently. He had just turned 17. I'm more of a logical thinker—he was the creative one who was always writing raps. He inspired me to write this when I couldn't understand protein synthesis using traditional study methods. Thank you.

There are a couple things that are a bit unclear:
-CHAR is a school
-JDP is the Juvenile Development Program for basketball
-Ms. Wright is my biology teacher

Enjoy, Sparklers!

Protein Synthesis Rap

So I wrote this rap
And it’s really lame
It’s about protein synthesis
And DNA

DNA’s the code
It has all the information
For the mRNA to make
A new protein population

We needa make some protein
That there’s no doubt
But DNA’s stuck inside the nucleus
How we gonna get it out?

Chorus:

Gotta study biology
Cause CHAR kids don’t get no Cs
After the exam we’ll all be free
To play ball wit JDP
Gotta study biology
Cause CHAR kids don’t get no Cs
After the exam we’ll all be free
To play ball wit JDP

So I ask Ms. Wright
She say no prob, no prob
Just gotta copy out the code
You don’t needa get it out

We get the mRNA in
It transcribes the gene
Matchin’ the Gs up to th’ Cs
And uracil to adenine

So I say Ms. Wright
What happens next?
She say you know how to read
Take a look in yo text

Chorus 2x

The mRNA leaves the nucleus
Out the backdoor
It’s a hole in th’ membrane
Called a nuclear pore

Cytoplasm’s next stop
For the mRNA
We gonna translate those messages
To make the protein today

So ya hook the mRNA
Up to a ribosome
And then translate the message
So we can all go home

Chorus 2x

Here come the tRNA trucks
Wit the amino acids on the end
Each truck has a 3-letter code
That tells us where the acid is

The tRNA matches up
C to G, U to A
The ribosome slides down
To make a polypeptide chain

The acids keep hookin’ on
To the tRNA
This is called Protein Synthesis
So I better get an A!

Chorus: tune with no lyrics

Gotta study biology
Cuz CHAR kids don’t get no Cs
After the exam we’ll all be free
To play ball wit JDP…

YEAH!