"I get it. So, DNA leaves the nucleus," Tendo repeats.
"Tendo, we already said DNA is too big to exit the nucleus. It undergoes transcription and leaves as RNA," Jin says flatly.
"Wait, wait. No, we said transcription is when you make DNA doubles!" he exclaims.
"Isn't that translation?" Hayato looks up from his notebook tiredly.
"That's DNA replication," I point to the highlighted word. Tendo groans and lays backwards on the floor from frustration, falling into a pillow.
My friends and I are having a study session for our biology final exam. Only the third years of the volleyball team. We're all huddled in a circle around my textbook. It's decked with sticky notes, arrows, and other information I wrote down as our teacher spoke. I finished studying already, so I decided to come over and help.
We're at Tendo's house, in his unusually spacey room. It's late. We're all sitting on his gray carpet with a splotchy design. I hug my knees to my chest. Most of us are in sweatpants, except for Wakatoshi, who decided to go on a run prior and is in jogging shorts. Tendo's manga t-shirt is interesting, it has a vertical panel with a graphic design. The same goes for Kiyo's bunny-print sweatpants.
"We've been studying for an hour. Let's take a break," Jin suggests sweetly, trying to lighten the mood.
I've been tutoring them on the last unit, biochemistry, with Jin's help. He and I are the best at biology. He took on the biomolecules, and now I'm taking on DNA replication, transcription, and translation.
"Come on. Guys, focus. Think of DNA as a fat cat, okay?" This is how bad it's gotten. Fat cats.
"Okay," Tendo puffs, sitting up with new motivation.
"It can't fit through the pet door, right? So it has to shrink, I guess," I say.
"It has to, um, shrink, by splitting into two kittens." I stop and scratch my chin. I don't think this example is working. I ditch the approach.
"Forget it. Look, DNA can't leave the nucleus, become a protein, and get used up. The whole cell needs it for other things. It's the blueprint for everything. So, DNA undergoes transcription."
Kiyo looks focused, nodding and humming with approval. "Transcription is when the two DNA strands are separated, right? It's mediated by," I trail off, waiting for one of them to answer.
"Oh, oh! Helicase!" Reon says excitedly.
"Exactly! Helicase basically makes the two DNA strands file for divorce," I twist my fingers and untwist them, trying to replicate the diagram.
"Helicase is the home wrecker," Hayato suddenly says. A sudden realization.
We burst into laughter. I lean on Wakatoshi as I snort. He draws circles on my back.
"Okay, okay. You understand so far, right?" I spread my hands out. "Yeah," Semi gives a thumbs-up.
"Here's the catch, though. The DNA strands didn't finalize the divorce. Only one part of the strands is unwinded. Now, there's a new lady in town called RNA Polymerase," I say.
"Wasn't she the one who made the DNA duplicate?" Wakatoshi says.
"No, that's DNA Polymerase. You're on the right track. One is used to make DNA and the other is used to make RNA," I point my fingers left and right.
"So, what does the Polymerase lady do? Which strand does she go after?" Reon says, biting his nail.
"She goes to either one of the strands, it doesn't really matter. Let's say she chooses the guy strand. They become a cute couple," I say.
YOU ARE READING
Lavender | Wakatoshi Ushijima
Fanfiction'Everything seems to wash away with the tide and it's just two naïve kids staring at each other again, making promises to a future that isn't promised. A world they haven't seen, a life they haven't lived. A journey that's uncertain except for these...
