It might seem counter-intuitive, but mRNA is way more massive than the protein it encodes for (has the recipe for making). In fact, an mRNA (“recipe”) is about 10x as massive as the protein (“cake”) it codes for.
video link in case embed isn’t working: https://youtu.be/q6ajMJ5z6ik
The letters of the recipe (nucleotides) are ~3x heavier than the building blocks of the protein (amino acid).
average nucleotide is ~330 Da (g/mol); average amino acid is ~110 Da
Each amino acid is specified (coded for) by a 3-letter”word” (codon).
nucleotides are ~3x more massive than amino acids X 3 nucleotides per amino acid + 3 nucleotides per amino acid + regulatory parts (3′ & 5′ UTRs) = ~10
mRNA’s large size allows multiple giant chefs (ribosomes) to use it at the same time & allows lots of other proteins to bind to it & regulate its use.
Here’s a nice article about it from a great website, Cell Biology by the Numbers: Which is bigger, mRNA or the protein it codes for? http://book.bionumbers.org/which-is-bigger-mrna-or-the-protein-it-codes-for/
also check out their “What is the Protein to mRNA ratio” post: http://book.bionumbers.org/how-many-proteins-are-made-per-mrna-molecule/
Weird short post, but hope you found it fun & it’s important to keep in mind!
much more about mRNA here: https://bit.ly/mrnalife
more about translation here: https://bit.ly/proteintranslationwedding & https://youtu.be/XFNg6OlKWvw
