Cells read the genome through a multi-step process of transcription and translation. First, the DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) which carries the genetic code out of the nucleus. The mRNA is then translated by ribosomes in the cytoplasm which build proteins based on the mRNA sequence using transfer RNA (tRNA) and amino acids. This allows the cell to convert the genetic information in DNA into the functional proteins that drive cellular processes.

1. Chapter 6
• How Cells Read the
Genome: From DNA to
Protein