Question

Which strand has a polarity of 3' → 5' and serves as the actual template for RNA synthesis?

Options

• Coding Strand

• Sense Strand

• Structural Strand

• Template Strand

Answer 1

The Template Strand has 3' → 5' polarity and acts as the actual template for RNA synthesis during transcription. RNA polymerase reads this strand from 3' to 5', synthesizing the complementary RNA molecule in the 5' to 3' direction. This complementary relationship ensures that the mRNA sequence matches the coding strand (except T is replaced by U).