1. Transcription:
* DNA is transcribed into mRNA (messenger RNA). This happens in the nucleus of the cell.
* The DNA double helix unwinds, and one strand serves as a template for the mRNA synthesis.
* Enzymes called RNA polymerases read the DNA sequence and create a complementary mRNA copy.
* The mRNA molecule then detaches from the DNA and moves out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm.
2. Translation:
* mRNA is translated into a protein. This happens in the ribosomes of the cytoplasm.
* The mRNA molecule binds to a ribosome, which reads the mRNA code in groups of three nucleotides called codons.
* Each codon codes for a specific amino acid.
* Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules, each carrying a specific amino acid, recognize the codons and deliver the corresponding amino acids to the ribosome.
* The ribosome joins the amino acids together, forming a polypeptide chain.
* Once the entire mRNA sequence is translated, the polypeptide chain folds into a specific three-dimensional structure, becoming a functional protein.
Therefore, the correct description of the processes used to turn DNA code into protein is:
DNA is transcribed into mRNA, which is then translated into a protein.
