Here's how it works:
1. Transcription: DNA in the nucleus is transcribed into mRNA. This means the genetic code is copied from DNA into the mRNA molecule.
2. mRNA processing: The mRNA undergoes some modifications before it leaves the nucleus.
3. Export: The processed mRNA leaves the nucleus and travels to the cytoplasm.
4. Translation: The mRNA molecule interacts with ribosomes (cellular structures that synthesize proteins) and transfer RNA (tRNA) to translate the genetic code into a protein.
So, mRNA acts as the messenger, carrying the genetic instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes where proteins are made.