(noun. /tran-SKRIP-shon/)
by Gabrielle Bais
What does it mean?
Transcription is the first step in gene expression wherein DNA molecules are used as a template for an enzyme called RNA polymerase to make RNA molecule “transcripts”. RNA transcripts are then used as the code to make proteins which are necessary for our cells to properly function.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“When a person is exercising, transcription of muscle growth genes increases.”
Schematic depicting DNA (blue) being “transcribed” into RNA (red) inside of the nucleus of a cell. The RNA molecule is then translated into a protein (purple) in the cytoplasm of a cell. Image is the author’s own work.
History of usage
If you look up the word “transcription” in a dictionary, there are multiple uses of the word. Outside of biology, transcription means the act of making a copy of something. When DNA is transcribed to RNA, RNA, RNA polymerase is essentially making RNA copies of DNA sequences. Transcription was first visualized with a microscope in 1970.
Related terms
Transcription Factor
Reverse Transcription
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
Biology
Genetics
Molecular Biology
Cell Biology
