DNA to RNA Transcription

The DNA contains the master plan for the creation of the proteins and other molecules and systems of the cell, but the carrying out of the plan involves transfer of the relevant information to RNA in a process called transcription. The RNA to which the information is transcribed is messenger RNA (mrna).

A coding region of the DNA for a specific protein (a gene) contains the pattern for the creation of the protein. The coding region is preceded by a promotion region, and a transcription factor binds to that promotion region of the DNA. It recruits the necessary RNA polymerase to activate the copying of the pattern of the coding region over to RNA. The segment of DNA transcribed to the RNA contains some material that is not translated on both the beginning (5') and end (3') of the segment. It also typically has segments called introns that are not translated as well as segments called exons that are actually part of the pattern for the protein.