CONVERTS INFORMATION IN DNA TO RNA

• Protects original information
• Multiple RNA copies allow for more protein to be produced

DEFINITIONS

Transcription factors

Proteins which bind the promoter and recruit the RNA polymerase

Template strand

Strand of DNA in which the gene to be transcribed is located

THREE STEP PROCESS:

Initiation

• Promoter recognized by transcription factors
• RNA Polymerase II recruited by the transcription factors
• Transcription begins and continues 3′ to 5′ along template strand

Elongation

• Complementary RNA nucleotides added to the growing RNA strand (uracil instead of thymine in the RNA strand)

Termination

• Polyadenylation signal in the transcribed RNA signals proteins to cut it from the polymerase
• Newly formed RNA is called Pre-mRNA because it still needs to be processed
• RNA Polymerase eventually falls off the template strand