CBSE: Class 12
Maharashtra State Board: Class 10
CISCE: Class 12
Definition: Transcription
The process of synthesising mRNA from the complementary nucleotide sequence of one strand of DNA, in which uracil replaces thymine, is called transcription.
or
The process of copying genetic information from one strand of the DNA into RNA is termed as transcription.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
Key Points: Transcription
- Transcription is the process in which genetic information from one strand of DNA (template strand) is copied into RNA with the help of RNA polymerase.
- It occurs in the nucleoid in prokaryotes and in the nucleus in eukaryotes; mRNA then moves to the cytoplasm for translation.
- A transcription unit has three parts: promoter (start site), structural gene, and terminator (stop site).
- The process occurs in three stages: initiation (RNA polymerase binds promoter), elongation (RNA chain is formed), and termination (RNA polymerase detaches).
- Only one DNA strand acts as a template (3′→5′), while the other is the coding strand (5′→3′).
- In eukaryotes, primary RNA (hnRNA) is processed by capping, tailing, and splicing to form mature mRNA.
