Here's a breakdown:
* DNA: The blueprint of life, containing the genetic instructions for building and maintaining an organism.
* Genes: Specific segments of DNA that provide instructions for making proteins.
* Exons: The coding regions of a gene that contain the information for building a protein.
* Introns: Non-coding regions of a gene that are removed before the gene leaves the nucleus.
The Process:
1. Transcription: The DNA sequence of a gene is copied into a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule.
2. Splicing: The introns are removed from the mRNA, leaving only the exons.
3. Translation: The mature mRNA, containing only the exons, leaves the nucleus and travels to the ribosomes.
4. Protein Synthesis: The mRNA is read by the ribosomes, and the sequence of exons is used to assemble amino acids into a protein.
In summary, exons are the functional parts of a gene that are translated into proteins.
