Messenger RNA (mRNA)
a type of RNA that transfers the code from DNA in the nucleus to the cytoplasm
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a type of RNA molecule that is transcribed from DNA and then translated into a protein during the process of protein synthesis. mRNA carries the genetic information encoded in DNA from the cell nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where protein synthesis takes place.
During transcription, enzymes called RNA polymerases transcribe the DNA sequence into an RNA molecule, with complementary base pairing between the DNA and the RNA sequence. Once the mRNA has been transcribed, it undergoes a process called RNA processing, which includes the addition of a cap and tail and the removal of introns, which are non-coding regions of the DNA sequence. This processed mRNA then exits the nucleus and enters the cytoplasm, where it can be translated by ribosomes into a protein.
One important characteristic of mRNA is that its sequence is specific to the gene it is transcribed from. This means that different genes will have different mRNA sequences, and that the sequence of the mRNA determines the sequence of amino acids that will be joined together during protein synthesis. As a result, changes in the DNA sequence of a gene can result in changes to the mRNA sequence and ultimately the amino acid sequence of the protein.
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