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The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

The central dogma explains the flow of genetic information from DNA nucleotides to the amino acid sequence of proteins.
RNA is the Missing Link Between DNA and Proteins
In the early 1900s, scientists discovered that DNA stores all the information needed for cellular functions and that proteins perform most of these functions. However, the mechanisms of converting genetic information into functional proteins remained unknown for many years. Initially, it was believed that a single gene is...

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

From DNA to Protein

From DNA to Protein

The flow of genetic information in cells from DNA to mRNA to protein is described by the central dogma, which states that genes specify the sequence of mRNAs, which in turn specify the sequence of amino acids making up all proteins. The decoding of one molecule to another is performed by specific proteins and RNAs. Because the information stored in DNA is so central to cellular function, it makes intuitive sense that the cell would make mRNA copies of this information for protein synthesis...

Proteins: From Genes to Degradation

Proteins: From Genes to Degradation

Within a biological system, the DNA encodes the RNA, and the nucleotide sequence in the RNA further defines the amino acid sequence in the protein. This is referred to as “The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology” - a term coined by Francis Crick. Central dogma is a firm principle in biology that defines the flow of genetic information within any life form. The two fundamental steps in central dogma are - transcription and translation.
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 24, 2026

DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation

DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation

Published on: December 29, 2021

Central Dogma Goes Digital.

Yihan Lin¹, Michael B Elowitz²

¹Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

|March 19, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new digital method to count protein and mRNA molecules within single mammalian cells. This technique offers novel insights into the central dogma of molecular biology.

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Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Cellular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

The central dogma describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.
Quantifying both protein and mRNA levels simultaneously in individual cells is crucial for understanding gene expression regulation.
Existing methods often face limitations in accuracy or throughput for single-cell analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel digital technique for simultaneous quantification of protein and mRNA in mammalian cells.
To provide a new tool for investigating the relationship between mRNA and protein abundance at the single-cell level.
To enable a more precise examination of the central dogma in molecular biology.

Main Methods:

Development of a digital imaging and analysis pipeline.
Application of the technique to mammalian cell lines.
Validation of the quantitative accuracy for both protein and mRNA molecules.

Main Results:

Successful digital quantification of protein and mRNA numbers in individual mammalian cells.
Demonstration of the technique's ability to capture cell-to-cell variability in molecular counts.
Establishment of a new quantitative framework for studying gene expression.

Conclusions:

The described technique offers a powerful new approach for single-cell molecular biology research.
This method advances our ability to study the central dogma by providing precise protein and mRNA counts.
Future applications may include drug discovery and understanding disease mechanisms at the molecular level.