Final answer:
In a bacterial cell, transcription of DNA into mRNA occurs within the cytoplasm, specifically in a region known as the nucleoid.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a bacterial cell, DNA is transcribed into mRNA within the cytoplasm. Bacteria do not have a nucleus; instead, their DNA is located in a region called the nucleoid, which is part of the cytoplasm. Unlike in eukaryotic cells, where transcription occurs within the nucleus and the mRNA must exit to the cytoplasm for translation, in bacteria transcription and translation are both occurring in the cytoplasm. To clarify, the vacuole, nucleus, cell membrane, and polar body are not involved in the transcription of DNA into mRNA in bacterial cells.
Bacterial chromosomes are circular strands of DNA and are often accompanied by smaller rings of DNA called plasmids. These are not enclosed by a membrane and exist within the cytoplasm alongside the ribosomes that facilitate the translation of transcribed mRNA into proteins.