gene expression
Definition
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize functional gene products, typically proteins, that determine cellular function. This process involves transcription (copying DNA to RNA) and translation (decoding RNA to form polypeptide chains).
Analogy
Consider gene expression like baking a cake using a specific recipe. The gene is the recipe book that holds instructions for making a cake (protein). Transcription is like copying the recipe onto a note (mRNA), so it can be easily read in the kitchen (ribosome). Translation is the actual baking process where ingredients are mixed according to the recipe on the note to produce the final cake, representing the protein.
Related terms
Transcription: The first step of gene expression where a segment of DNA is copied into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase.
Translation: The process by which mRNA is decoded by ribosomes to produce a specific amino acid chain, or polypeptide, that will fold into an active protein.
mRNA (messenger RNA): A type of RNA that conveys genetic information from DNA to the ribosome, where they specify the amino acid sequence of the protein products of gene expression
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