Polypeptides

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A polypeptide is a molecule made up of multiple amino acids connected by peptide bonds. Polypeptides are made through transcription and translation. In transcription, an enzyme forces the double helix of the DNA to unwind, and split in half. Then, the bases of the DNA are paired with their opposite, free floating bases. This creates a new helix, and it splits in half, leaving the original DNA, and a new half string, called messenger RNA, or mRNA. The mRNA leaves the nucleus, and binds with ribosomes. These ribosomes "read" the mRNA, and every three bases, it connects an amino acid, building a polypeptide chain.