Translation of an mRNA molecule occurs in three stages: initiation, elongation, and termination.
Initiation: The ribosome assembles around the target mRNA and the start codon 5’ AUG is recognized.
Elongation: The tRNA transfers an amino acid to the tRNA bound to the next codon, forming a peptide bond between the two amino acids. The ribosome then translocates to the next codon to continue the process, creating an amino acid chain in the direction from the N terminal to the C terminal.
Termination: When a stop codon is recognized, the elongation of amino acid chain terminates. The ribosome then folds the polypeptide into its final structure.