Tutor profile: Girik J.

Explain the importance and mechanism of transcription?

The functions of any living organism all stem from the genetic code that is the organism's DNA. In order for code to be useful, it must be used to create proteins which then go and perform a majority of the functions within the body. This process of protein creation is two-fold. First occurs transcription and then translation. Transcription occurs when a specific protein called RNA polymerase attaches to one strand of DNA. As the RNA polymerase moves along that strand, it creates a specific duplicate strand called mRNA. Once this mRNA strand is completed, it is then taken to the translation stage where the mRNA is used to develop a protein structure.

What is the relationship between differentiating and integrating?

The answer is that one process is essentially the opposite of the other. Differentiating the equation y = x with respect to x gives us 1. If we integrate 1 with respect to x, the result is x, leaving us exactly where we started before. This applies to any differentiable equation and can be tested out as many times as the student would like.

What are parallels between mechanics and electricity & magnetism that can be used remember formulas and develop a more intuitive general understanding of each.

A key concept in mechanics is knowing that work (W) = force (F) x distance (d). This essentially means that the amount of work a person has done in moving something equals the amount of force the person applied on the object and distance the person moved it. An analogous formula is work (W) = charge (q) x voltage (V). Essentially the same mechanical understanding can be applied here to understand how work is calculated when moving charges in electric fields. The charge is representative of the object from the mechanical example and voltage is analogous to force.