What is the process of making RNA from DNA called?

The process of making RNA from DNA is known as transcription. During transcription, a specific segment of DNA is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA) by the enzyme RNA polymerase. This process involves the unwinding of the DNA double helix and synthesizing a complementary RNA strand by pairing RNA nucleotides with the corresponding DNA nucleotides (adenine pairs with uracil in RNA, and cytosine pairs with guanine).

Transcription is a crucial step in the gene expression pathway, allowing the genetic information stored in DNA to be converted into a form that can be used to direct the synthesis of proteins. The mRNA produced during transcription carries the code for a specific protein from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where translation occurs.

This process is distinct from replication, which is the copying of DNA itself for cell division. Translation is the subsequent step where the mRNA is used to synthesize proteins, and translocation generally refers to the movement of chromosomes during cell division or the movement of a ribosome along the mRNA during translation. Understanding these definitions highlights the role of transcription in the flow of genetic information within a cell.