Final answer:
The central dogma of molecular genetics articulates the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein through the processes of transcription and translation. DNA is transcribed into mRNA, which then serves as a template for protein synthesis during translation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Central Dogma of Molecular Genetics, The central dogma of molecular genetics is a fundamental concept that describes the flow of genetic information within a biological system. It explains how the genetic code contained within DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and then translated into a protein.
According to the central dogma, the sequence of events is as follows: DNA is transcribed to mRNA, which specifies the sequence of the protein during the process of translation. During transcription, a segment of DNA, which includes genes, serves as a template for the production of an mRNA molecule.
Each gene that is transcribed corresponds to a specific protein that needs to be produced by the cell. Then, during translation, the mRNA is used to determine the order of amino acids in the protein. This process involves reading the mRNA nucleotides in groups of three, known as codons, each of which corresponds to a particular amino acid.
The central dogma of molecular biology is succinctly summarized as DNA → RNA → Protein. This concept has been a pivotal discovery in molecular biology and holds true for nearly all organisms, with few exceptions noted in cases such as viral infections.