Transcription

Transcription is the synthesis of RNA using a molecule of DNA as the blueprint. DNA and RNA use a complementary biochemical language, so there is a corresponding RNA nucleotide for each DNA nucleotide. This makes it possible to transcribe or copy information from one type of molecule to the other. The molecule that performs this copying process is named RNA polymerase. The RNA molecule that is produced as a result of transcription is called messenger RNA or mRNA. It carries its 'message' to units called ribosome which will decode the RNA to produce amino acids, which are chained together to build proteins.

Copying the information carried in DNA onto RNA is transcription. The decoding of RNA to make amino acids is called translation.