Transcription (genetics)

Transcription (genetics)

Transcription in Genetics refers to the first step of Gene expression where a particular segment of DNA is copied into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase. Both DNA and RNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RNA by the action of the correct enzymes.

Pronunciation

Transcription is pronounced as /trænˈskrɪpʃən/.

Etymology

The term 'Transcription' comes from the Latin word 'transcribere' which means 'to copy over'. In the context of genetics, it refers to the process where the DNA sequence is copied by RNA polymerase to produce a complementary RNA.

Process

The process of transcription can be divided into three stages: initiation, elongation, and termination.

• Initiation is the first stage of transcription where the RNA polymerase binds to the promoter region of the DNA and begins to unwind the DNA helix.

• Elongation is the second stage where the RNA polymerase moves along the DNA template strand, synthesizing a complementary RNA molecule.

• Termination is the final stage where the RNA polymerase reaches a termination sequence and detaches from the DNA, releasing the newly synthesized RNA molecule.

Related Terms

• Gene expression
• RNA polymerase
• Promoter
• DNA
• RNA
• Nucleic acid
• Nucleotide
• Base pair

See Also

• Translation (genetics)
• Genetic code
• Central dogma of molecular biology

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Transcription (genetics)
• Wikipedia's article - Transcription (genetics)

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