1. Unwinding: An enzyme called RNA polymerase binds to a specific region on the DNA called the promoter. This binding causes the DNA to unwind, separating the two strands.
2. Transcription: RNA polymerase then uses one of the DNA strands as a template to build a complementary strand of mRNA. This strand is made up of nucleotides (A, U, G, C) where:
* A pairs with T (in DNA) or U (in RNA)
* G pairs with C
3. Termination: RNA polymerase reaches a signal in the DNA sequence called the terminator, which causes it to detach from the DNA. The newly synthesized mRNA strand is released.
This newly formed mRNA molecule then travels out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm, where it is used to create proteins in a process called translation.
