What are the main stages in the process of DNA to protein?

The process of going from DNA to protein involves several key stages, primarily focused on the central dogma of molecular biology, which defines the flow of genetic information.

The first stage, transcription, is where the DNA sequence of a gene is transcribed to produce messenger RNA (mRNA). This process involves the enzyme RNA polymerase binding to the DNA at the promoter region and synthesizing a complementary RNA strand based on the DNA template. This is crucial as it converts the genetic information stored in DNA into a format that can be translated into a protein.

Following transcription, the mRNA undergoes RNA processing. This step includes modifications such as the addition of a 5' cap and a poly-A tail, as well as the splicing of introns (non-coding regions) out of the mRNA and the joining together of exons (coding sequences). This processing is essential because it ensures that the mRNA is mature and ready for translation.

The final stage is translation, where the processed mRNA is read by ribosomes to synthesize a protein. During this stage, transfer RNA (tRNA) brings amino acids to the ribosome, which are assembled into a polypeptide chain according to the sequence coded by the mRNA.

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