The assembly of proteins from amino acids occurs at ribosomes in the cytoplasm and is based on information carried by mRNA.

The assembly of proteins from amino acids occurs at ribosomes in the cytoplasm and is based on information carried by mRNA.

• A. Transcription
• B. Translation
• C. DNA Replication
• D. Protein Synthesis

Answer: (D)

The key idea is translating genetic information into a chain of amino acids. The description points to a process that happens in the cytoplasm on ribosomes, using information carried by mRNA to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide. That exact activity is known as translation: the ribosome reads the codons on mRNA and, with help from tRNA molecules bringing the appropriate amino acids, links them together to form a protein. Transcription, by contrast, is the step that makes an RNA copy from DNA, typically in the nucleus, not at ribosomes in the cytoplasm. DNA replication is the copying of DNA for cell division. Protein synthesis is a broader term that can refer to the whole production of proteins, including transcription and translation; the description here is specifically about decoding mRNA to synthesize a protein, which makes translation the most precise fit.

The key idea is translating genetic information into a chain of amino acids. The description points to a process that happens in the cytoplasm on ribosomes, using information carried by mRNA to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide. That exact activity is known as translation: the ribosome reads the codons on mRNA and, with help from tRNA molecules bringing the appropriate amino acids, links them together to form a protein.

Transcription, by contrast, is the step that makes an RNA copy from DNA, typically in the nucleus, not at ribosomes in the cytoplasm. DNA replication is the copying of DNA for cell division. Protein synthesis is a broader term that can refer to the whole production of proteins, including transcription and translation; the description here is specifically about decoding mRNA to synthesize a protein, which makes translation the most precise fit.