Final answer:
The gene encodes the transcript, with the ALDH7A1 gene's DNA being transcribed into mRNA, which is then translated into a protein based on the genetic code.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct relationship between the ALDH7A1 gene and its transcript is that the gene encodes the transcript. A gene is composed of DNA that goes through the process of transcription to produce a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule. During transcription, the DNA sequence of the gene is used as a template to synthesize a complementary RNA sequence. This mRNA then serves as the guide for protein synthesis during translation, where the sequence of nucleotides in the mRNA is translated into an amino acid sequence forming a polypeptide or protein. The central dogma of molecular biology outlines this flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, underlying the mechanism that each gene results in the production of a specific protein, as supported by Beadle and Tatum's 'one gene-one enzyme' hypothesis.