Transcription is defined as which of the following?

• A. The synthesis of a DNA strand from an RNA template.
• B. Ribosomes assemble amino acids into proteins.
• C. DNA strands serve as a template by RNA polymerase to synthesize a mRNA.
• D. tRNA carries amino acids to the ribosome.

Answer: (C)

Transcription is the process by which a cell uses DNA as a template to produce RNA, carried out by RNA polymerase. The enzyme binds to a gene region, reads the DNA template strand in the 3' to 5' direction, and builds a complementary RNA strand in the 5' to 3' direction, using uracil instead of thymine. The product, typically messenger RNA, carries the genetic code from the gene to the ribosome where it will be translated into a protein. This description directly matches the idea that DNA strands serve as a template by RNA polymerase to synthesize an mRNA.

Think of it as copying the seasonal recipe from the cookbook (DNA) into a note (RNA) that can travel to the kitchen (ribosome) to make the dish (protein). The other processes involve translating that RNA into a protein or synthesizing DNA from RNA, which are different steps.