Final answer:
The DNA template strand 5'-GCATATGCGGTAC-3' leads to the transcription of an mRNA sequence 5'-GCAUAUGCGGUAC-3'. Transcription is facilitated by RNA polymerase and occurs inside the nucleus of eukaryotic cells or the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells, following base pairing rules with uracil replacing thymine in the RNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the process of transcription in molecular biology, which involves the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template. Given the DNA template strand 5'-GCATATGCGGTAC-3', one can determine the corresponding mRNA sequence through complementary base pairing, where adenine (A) pairs with uracil (U) in RNA and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). Thus, the mRNA sequence synthesized would be 5'-GCAUAUGCGGUAC-3' since RNA uses uracil in place of thymine.
This process typically occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells or the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells, as transcription does not require a nucleus. The RNA polymerase enzyme mediates transcription by synthesizing RNA in a 5' to 3' direction. The DNA strand that is not used as a template is known as the coding strand, which has a similar nucleotide sequence to the synthesized RNA, except that the thymine (T) in DNA is replaced by uracil (U) in RNA.