What is the process of transcription?

Transcription is the biological process in which the information encoded in a specific segment of DNA is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). This process occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and serves as the first step in gene expression.

During transcription, an enzyme called RNA polymerase binds to the DNA at a specific region known as the promoter. The enzyme then unwinds and separates the DNA strands, allowing it to read the nucleotide sequence of one strand of the DNA, which serves as a template. As RNA polymerase moves along the template strand, it synthesizes a complementary strand of mRNA by linking together RNA nucleotides that are complementary to the DNA template. This newly formed mRNA strand carries the information needed for synthesizing proteins, which will later be used in the process of translation.

The result of transcription is a single-stranded mRNA molecule that contains the genetic information originally present in the DNA but is structured to direct the synthesis of proteins. The successful completion of transcription is crucial for the subsequent steps in gene expression, making it a fundamental biological process.