Understanding Transcription: The Process of Making an mRNA Copy of DNA

The process of making an mRNA copy of a DNA strand. Occurs in the nucleus of the cell.

The process of making an mRNA copy of a DNA strand is called transcription

The process of making an mRNA copy of a DNA strand is called transcription. Transcription takes place in the nucleus of the cell, which is the central part of a eukaryotic cell that houses the DNA.

During transcription, an enzyme called RNA polymerase binds to a specific region on the DNA strand called the promoter. The promoter acts as a signal to indicate the start of a gene. Once bound to the promoter, RNA polymerase unwinds the DNA double helix and separates the two strands.

Using one of the DNA strands as a template, RNA polymerase then synthesizes an mRNA molecule. Along the template strand, the RNA polymerase moves along, matching complementary RNA nucleotides to the exposed DNA nucleotides. These RNA nucleotides are adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U). Adenine is paired with uracil instead of thymine (T), as in DNA.

As the RNA polymerase moves along the template strand, it continues to add complementary RNA nucleotides, thus elongating the growing mRNA molecule. This process occurs until the RNA polymerase reaches a region on the DNA called the terminator, which signals the end of the gene.

After the mRNA molecule is synthesized, RNA polymerase and the mRNA molecule are released from the DNA. The mRNA molecule then undergoes further processing before it can be transported out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm for translation, where it serves as a template for protein synthesis.

In summary, transcription is the process of making an mRNA copy of a DNA strand, and it occurs in the nucleus of the cell. RNA polymerase binds to the promoter region on the DNA, separates the double helix, and uses one DNA strand as a template to synthesize an mRNA molecule. The mRNA molecule is then further processed and transported to the cytoplasm for translation.

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