Question

What is the function of RNA polymerase?

a. It proceeds slowly along the DNA strand, requiring about a minute to add two nucleotides to the growing mRNA molecule.
b. It unwinds the double helix and adds nucleotides to a growing strand of RNA.
c. It adds nucleotides to the 5' end of the growing mRNA molecule.
d. It relies on other enzymes to unwind the double helix.
e. All of the listed responses are correct.

Answer 1

RNA polymerase's function is to unwind the DNA helix and add complementary nucleotides to form a growing RNA strand, specifically mRNA, during the transcription process.

Step-by-step explanation:

The function of RNA polymerase is essential during the process of transcription, which is a crucial step in gene expression. The best answer to the student's question is that RNA polymerase unwinds the double helix and adds nucleotides to a growing strand of RNA. More specifically, RNA polymerase binds to the DNA at a specific region called the promoter during the initiation of transcription, signaling the DNA to unwind. It then reads the unwound DNA template strand and synthesizes mRNA in the 5' to 3' direction. This enzyme adds RNA nucleotides that are complementary to the DNA template strand, effectively creating a mirror image of the DNA's coding sequence in the form of mRNA.