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The Discovery of Ribozymes

Topic
  • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  • DNA & RNA
Resource Type
  • Videos
  • Clips
Level
High School — AP/IBCollege
Duration
00:19:04
Favorited By
2 Users
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Description

This video features Nobel laureate Thomas Cech discussing his discovery that RNA can function as an enzyme.

In the early 1980s, Sidney Altman and Thomas Cech independently found that RNA molecules can function as catalysts for chemical reactions. Before then, only proteins were thought to function in this way. The discovery of a class of catalytic RNAs, called ribozymes, earned Altman and Cech the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Details
Key Terms

catalyst, central dogma, enzyme, history of science, intron, RNA world, splicing, Tetrahymena, transcription

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Version History
Date Published 02.08.95
Materials
Large (MOV) 62 MB
Large (WMV) 62 MB
Small (MOV) 27 MB
Small (WMV) 27 MB
Transcript (PDF) 47 KB

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