Final answer:
The enzyme responsible for transcription is RNA polymerase. It binds to the promoter region, synthesizes mRNA by reading the DNA template, and goes through initiation, elongation, and termination phases. The correct answer is 2) RNA polymerase.
Step-by-step explanation:
The enzyme responsible for transcription, which is the process of RNA synthesis from a DNA template, is RNA polymerase. During transcription, RNA polymerase binds to a region on the DNA known as the promoter. This signals the unwinding of DNA, allowing the enzyme to read the DNA strand and synthesize a complementary strand of mRNA. Transcription occurs in three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination.
Initiation begins when RNA polymerase binds to the promoter, elongation is the addition of nucleotides to form the RNA chain, and termination ends the process when the RNA polymerase reaches a terminator sequence and detaches from the DNA. Among the options provided, 1) DNA polymerase, 2) RNA polymerase, 3) Ligase, 4) Helicase, the correct answer is 2) RNA polymerase.