| Term | Definition |
| Transcription | A process in which DNA is used as a template to make complementary messenger RNA. |
| Translation | A process in which a ribosome makes amino acids in order to synthesize a polypeptide coed by messenger RNA. |
| Messenger RNA | End product of transcription. Translated by ribosomes into proteins. |
| Transfer RNA | Form of RNA responsible for delivering amino acids to the ribosomes during translation |
| Ribosomal RNA | Form of RNA that binds with ribosomal protein to form ribosomes |
| Codon | Sequence of three bases in DNA or mRNA that serve as a code for an amino acid. |
| Start codon | Specific codon that signals to the ribosome that translation starts at that point. |
| Stop codon | Specific codons that signal the end of translation to a ribosome. |
| Promoter | Sequence of DNA that binds RNA polymerase upsream of a gene |
| Upstream | Region of DNA adjacent to the start of a gene |
| Template strand | The strand of DNA that RNA polymerase uses as a guide to build complementary mRNA |
| Coding strand | The strand of DNA not used for transcription. |
| Terminator sequence | Sequence of bases at the end of a gene that signals the RNA polymerase to stop transcribing |
| Primary transcript | mRNA that has to be modified before exiting the nucleus |
| 5' cap | A cap addded to the start of a primary transcript to protect it in the cytoplasm |
| poly-A polymerase | An enzyme, responsible for adding a string of adenine bases to the end of mRNa to protect it |
| poly-A tail | A string of 200 to 300 adenine base pairs at the end of an mRNA transcript |
| Exons | The coding part of DNA. |
| Introns | Noncoding region of a gene |
| Spliceosomes | RNA and proteins that cut introns from mRNA |
| mRNA transcript | mRNA that has been modified to exit the nucleus |